World's Asylum
by Mizukume
Summary: A nameless and forgotten hero, in order to prevent the destruction of the world decides to participate in the upcoming Fourth Holy Grail War as the sole master of the White Faction. AU/Nasuverse (Featuring: Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night, Kara no Kyoukai, Tsukihime, Fate/hollow ataraxia, Fate/Prototype, Fate/strange fake, Fate/Apocrypha, Fate/Grand Order)
1. Foreword & Glossary

**Foreword**

* * *

 **Hello guys, this is my first time writing a fanfiction. I'm a big fan of the Fate series but my knowledge on the Nasuverse is limited to only the animes and fanfictions. English isn't my mother language either, so there might be grammar errors. Pardon me if I make any mistake.**

 **The OC is heavily inspired by Counter Guardian Emiya, Emiya Kiritsugu, and** **Amakusa Shirou Tokisada.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Type-Moon or any other mentioned fictional works. I only own my original characters.**

* * *

 **Word Format**

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Story

 _Flashback_

'Important'

"Speaking"

 _'Thinking_ _'_

 _"Telepathic"_

 ** _"Noble Phantasm"_**

* * *

 **Glossary**

 ** _!SPOILER ALERT!_ _PLEASE DON'T READ UNLESS YOU ARE CAUGHT UP WITH THE STORY!_**

* * *

 **History & Timeline**

* * *

 **History:**

 **Age of Fire**

 **Age of Gods**

 **Age of Fairies**

 **Age of Man**

 **Timeline:**

 **First Holy Grail War 1814**

 **Second Holy Grail War 1874**

 **Third Holy Grail War 1938**

 **Mahoutsukai no Yoru 1989**

 **Fate/Zero 1994**

 **Kara no Kyoukai 1995-1999**

 **Tsukihime 1999**

 **Kagetsu Tohya 2001**

 **Melty Blood 2001-2002**

 **Fate/stay night 2004**

 **Story Arcs:**

 **Arc 1: The Fourth Holy Grail War (Fate/Zero)**

 **Arc 2: Hollowed Garden (Kara no Kyoukai)**

 **Arc 3: Creatures of the Night (Tsukihime)**

 **Arc 4: Ours Five Years**

 **Arc 5: The Fifth Holy Grail War (Fate/stay night, ?, ?, ?, ?)**

* * *

 **Locations**

* * *

 **Fuyuki City: Th** **e city where the events Fate/Zero and Fate/stay night takes place in.** **It is separated into two sections by the river Mion that can be considered two towns, Shinto and Miyama City, which are the new and old sections of city respectively.**

 **Miyama Town: T** **he suburban area of Fuyuki that contains old houses and traditional buildings. It can be split into two main parts, the traditional Japanese houses district and the foreigners' houses district.**

 **Emiya Residence: The home which Kiritsugu bought during the Fourth Holy Grail War. It is located on the northern end of Miyama Town.  
**

 **Tohsaka Residence: The home of Tohsaka Tokiomi, Tohsaka Aoi, and Tohsaka Rin. It is located on the southern end of Miyama Town, where the western style houses are.**

 **Matou Residence: The home of Matou Zouken and Matou Sakura. It is located on the southern end of Miyama Town.**

 **Homurahara Academy: The local high school.**

 **Mount Miyama: The shopping district in Miyama Town.**

 **Mount Enzou: The mountain which the Ryuudou Temple is located on.**

 **Ryuudou Temple: A** **mountain temple on the outskirts of Miyama, like the name suggested it is owned by Ryuudou family and the current head of the temple is led by Issei Ryuudou and Reikan Ryuudou's father. As the name suggests, it is the very heart of the city that functions as the keystone of Fuyuki's leylines. It has a mountainside lake that is one of the four possible places for the Holy Grail to manifest. The Greater Grail resides within an enormous cavern beneath the temple.**

 **Ten no Sakazuki: The massive cavern where the Greater Holy Grail was created. Three kilometers in diameter.**

 **Shinto: The** **newer district of Fuyuki that is under development east of the Mion River. Around the 1990s, the area was reclaimed from a previously empty wasteland, beginning a large-scale redevelopment project funded by the local government to build a modern business district containing features like a park and shopping mall in front of the train station. The City Hall being was moved from Miyama to give it a more modern structure, and the maintenance of the park and shopping mall were complete. Although the buildings were only forty percent complete at the time, it was constantly crowded during holidays.**

 **Center Building: T** **he highest building in Fuyuki. It is four kilometers away from the bridge.**

 **Fuyuki City Hyatt Hotel: The hotel located in the Centerville neighborhood. In the Fourth Grail War, Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi and Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri used the hotel as their headquarters. It was later rebuilt.**

 **Fuyuki Harbor: The location where the first battle of** **the Fourth Holy Grail War** **was fought, and the place where Gilgamesh fell.**

 **Fuyuki Station: The station is an one hour walk from the Tohsaka residence.**

 **Semina Apartments: An apartment building located in block four of the Kurokizaka district. It is an L-shaped building that contains two apartments per floor, occupying the entire horizontal part of the L and entire vertical part of the L respectively. The entrance to the building is located in the center of it, containing a door leading to an elevator and the emergency stairwell of the building. Room two of the eleventh floor is a four-bedroom residence. Each apartment features a four-meter-long hallway between the living room and the front door, an unusual design without any utility rooms for storage or a bathroom. Each apartment hallway has lights with the exception of room two of the eleventh floor due to a structural flaw allowing for no space for their installation.**

 **Fuyuki Church: It is located on top of a hill and an one-hour walk from Miyama Town. It was constructed before WWII.** **In the second grail war, the evocation site of the Grail was set to be at the Fuyuki Church**

 **Foreign Cemetary: A graveyard for the foreigners that moved into Fuyuki long ago.**

 **Fuyuki Civic Center: A building formally of Miyama until it was to be moved to Shinto during the 1990s. The location happened to be that of one of the four advent locations of the Holy Grail.** **This is the place where multiple Servants perished during the Fourth Holy Grail War, and the place which the Lesser Grail was placed.** **The building of the 1990s was in the process of being moved piece by piece to steal all central municipal functions from Miyama. They wished for a modern structure of iron, glass, and mortar to be the physical symbol of the area's development along with the Central Building at the cost of eight billion yen. It was designed by a prestigious architect, creating a design meant to make it as majestic and splendid as an ancient shrine. The building covered an area of 6600 square meters, contained 4700 square meters of usable space, and was designed to house four floors and one basement level. It contained a two-story music hall able accommodate around three thousand patrons. At the time of its destruction, only its exterior was complete. In preparation for the commemoration ceremony, it was to be decorated and still could not be used in a practical manner.**

 **Fuyuki Central Park: Formerly part of the residential district and the location of the City Hall, is a park in the center of Shinto.** **The location is popular with children even on weekdays due to its size and organization.**

 **Copenhagen: A liquor shop x pub sort of place.**

 **Fuyuki Central Library: It is located in the middle of the Fuyuki citizen's park**

 **Verde: The biggest shopping center in town.**

 **Exciting Splash:** **An indoor swimming pool. There's a current pool, a wave pool, a big water slide, an unbelievably high diving board, a pool for racing, and on top of that there's all the nameless pools used for other attractions.**

 **Edefelt's Twins Mansions: The mansions owned by the Edelfelt Family. One is located close to the Tohsaka residence, and the other is located close to the Fuyuki Church.**

 **Fuyuki Bridge: It is located at the center of Fuyuki City bridging both Miyami Town and Shinto.**

 **Mion River: The river that divides Fuyuki in half.**

 **Fuyuki Sewers: The dark underground conduit for carrying off drainage water and waste matter.**

 **Einzbern Castle: The castle-villa found at the forest in the outskirts of Fuyuki City, it was brought from the Einzbern homeland to serve as a base for the Masters of the family during the Heaven's Feel rituals.** **The existence of the castle is not publicly known, but it seems that people who get lost at the forest have found their way into it by chance in the past. The interior decoration is outrageously luxurious. There is wine cellar that can be accessed from a passage at left area from the lobby. The courtyard is the coldest area inside the castle and it has a flowerbed installed.**

 **Einzbern Forest: The virgin forest, or rather mountain range, found at the outskirts of Fuyuki city. About 30 kilometers to the west of Fuyuki's urban area. It is possible to reach the entrance of the forest after a one-hour run of car in the highway that comes out from Miyamacho and then a one kilometer walk through the grove. One hour drive by taxi from Shinto.** **Not only the name in the registration is of unknown substance, but it also became a privately-owned land of an uncertain foreign enterprise. Because the landowners (the Einzbern) refuse to develop the area, it turned into a literal sea of trees. Since the trees extend themselves to cover the sunlight coming from above, it is impossible to see more than 10 meters ahead inside the forest. Amidst all of it, there is a clearing of about 40 meters diameter with a square and some ruins. Due of a lack of courage to set a stronghold in the middle of the Tohsaka territory, Jubstacheit von Einzbern purchased the closest land to Fuyuki with a leyline at the eve of the Third Holy Grail War. The Einzbern circled the forest with a bounded field to isolate it from the outside world and had one of the castles from the Einzbern homeland dismantled and then rebuild in the middle of it. The Tohsaka house earnestly engaged in negotiations for the concealment of the construction. The large bounded field stretched throughout the area is to detect intruders and so long their presence and magical energy are not suppressed they can be easily discovered.**

 **Yatsushirodai Elementary School: It is located just outside of Fuyuki.**

 **XXXXXX**

 **Mifune City: The city where the events Kara no Kyoukai takes place in.**

 **Garan no Dou: A** **contract-based agency run by Touko Aozaki. The majority of the jobs involve puppet-making, but they also take on cases with supernatural or abnormal elements and, if Touko was interested, all sorts of jobs are accepted such as anime production.** **She placed a bounded field around the building that houses Garan no Dou that was supposed to make it undetectable via hypnotic suggestions, and made it into her workshop. Mail service, water and electricity runs just fine. It's because even though it repels unwanted visitors, it also has to maintain its existence as a legitimate business. It appeared to be an abandoned building, and it really was an abandoned building. Touko purchased this building which was abandoned mid-construction and insisted on calling it her office. The first floor is just ruins. The second and third floors are where Touko works. The fourth floor was the office. Mikiya and Shiki have only seen the fourth floor.**

 **Nameless Building: A five-story building located at the more populated section of the city. It is the home which Titus and his Servants lived in during their time in Mifune City. The first floor is a coffee shop, the second floor acted as the office and living room, the third and fourth floor were their private rooms, and the fifth floor contained almost thirty bedrooms.**

 **A Magician's Taste: A coffee shop ran by Tamamo and Kiyohime, it is located on the first floor of their home in Mifune City.**

 **Board Bridge: A** **newly constructed bridge that connects the two harbors of Mifune City.** **It is ten kilometers long in a crescent moon shape and it was planned to have a shopping arcade.**

 **Fujou Building: It** **was originally built in the 70's during the economic boom as a symbol of the city. It was very popular for its height and observation deck. It is located in the deserted part of town which have now fallen into disrepair and is about to be demolished.**

 **Ogawa Apartment Complex: A ten-story apartment with a complex structure, located in Kayamihama, Mifune City. The Apartment complex was an experiment to reach the Spiral of Origin.** **The building was originally designed by Touko, it was originally meant to be the embodiment Taikyokuzu (Ying and Yang). Souren Araya used her blueprint for his goals but he placed the Taikyokuzu within a Taikyokuzu.** **The apartment walls has been inscribed with strange patterns which caused people to go into depression leading them to become insane thus driving them to their deaths. There were 50 households in the apartment complex but only 30 of the household are real. The Enjou family were one of the subjects of the experiments. Cornelius Alba was responsible for the system at the Ogawa apartment, where only the brains of residents were kept alive and connected to puppet bodies. The experiment involved controlling the brain that was still functioning and implant their the thought processes into the replica puppets. Araya created the Apartment Complex to create a cyclical loop in which the puppet residents repeat their last day before death as a means to discover an access to the Spiral of Origin. To avoid the Counter Force, he placed a powerful bounded field "Hounouden Rokujyuyonshou" so the experiment wouldn't leak out and the Counter Force wouldn't notice it.**

 **Kontsuki: A delivery udon shop in Mifune City.** **There is a shop that shares the same name in Misaki Town.**

 **Department Store: The largest department stores in Mifune City. It is a typical suburban department store, it is located in the city centre and near the Mifune station. It celebrated its 10th anniversary in 1998. In 3 August 1998, Shiki fought Mitsuru Kamekura in the third floor of the parking area.**

 **XXXXXX**

 **Misaki Town: The town located around the mountains, it is where the events Tsukihime, Kagetsu Tohya, Melty Blood series, and Mahou Tsukai no Yoru takes place in.** **It flourished as a post town from the Edo period, modernization in the town has progressed rapidly in the last decade. It is also known as a commuter town leading towards Misaki city. The town was under the control of the Aozaki clan from several hundred years ago. The land is far from Mage's Association reaches but it is targeted by other mages as it is the last remaining magic source.**

 **Tohno Residence: T** **he home of Shiki Tohno and Akiha Tohno.**

 **Imperial Metropolis: A grilled beef restaurant. Technically it is located next to the town. There is a special menu, an all-you-can-eat to challenge the limits of human beings. As a paradise of meat that competes not on quality but price, it's a popular hangout for students who want to get a lot of bang for their buck. They have an all-you-can-eat special available that tests the limits of human endurance, and the rankings are updated monthly. However, it seems that the monsters occupying the first and second place spots are unlikely to be displaced any time in the foreseeable future.**

 **Kontsuki: A** **delivery udon shop in Misaki town. TThere is a shop that shares the same name in Mifune City.**

 **Private Misaki High School: A pr** **ivate high school established in Misaki town. The school has a 50-year history, originally there was once a primary school that was located where the school is located now but it was closed for 20 years and relocated to the mountain further away from the current school. It established a second school building thanks to the funding of a certain department store group due to the modernization of Misaki town. However, there was a decline of students because the local residents of Misaki town wants a public high school. The students are obliged to join the club activities as a general rule. Aozaki Aoko once studied here as the student council president.**

 **Misaki Municipal High School: The local high school where Tsukihime sets in. Tohno Shiki, Ciel, Yumizuka Satsuki, and Inui Arihiko attend this school.**

 **Asagami Private Girls Academy: The school Tohno Akiha attends. It is owned by the Asagami Family and it is about an hour away from the Tohno mansion by car. Normally students are forced to live on campus, but Akiha has received special permission to commute to school from her own home.**

 **Reien Girl's Academy: A private prestigious girls school, located in the suburbs of Misaki. Its value is much higher than Misaki high school, the school is sponsored by Fujino Asagami's father. It is a strict school that is sealed off from the outside and it is rare to see the students in public. While the school is in session, the girls need to stay at the dorms and can't go out unless they receive a special permission. Similarly people from the outside are not allowed in.** **It supposedly wants to educate girls with manners, but students who transfers from a regular school do not like it at all. It has a size of a university, and the garden of thick trees almost feels like a forest. Their school uniform looks like a cassock. It's said to have been a sister-school of a renowned school in England, but recently other girls' academies had emerged using Reien as the template. Since this school is cut off from the outside world, you can say it's a natural bounded field. A magus might do an experiment in here and society wouldn't know.**

 **Shrine Skyscraper: It is the building in the final stages of construction which was originally to represent the symbol of Misaki Town.**

 **Back Alleys: The darkest alleys of Misaki Town. It is this place where the dangers of this city are hiding to kill their victims when they step in these places.**

* * *

 **Titus?' Profile**

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 **Name: ?**

 **Origin: Limitlessness**

 **Elemental Affinity: ?**

* * *

 **Titus?' Status (Servant Container)**

* * *

 **True Name: ?**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Title: ?**

 **Height/Weight: 185cm 77kg**

 **Alignment: True Neutral**

 **Strength: ?**

 **Endurance: ?**

 **Agility: ?**

 **Mana: ?**

 **Luck: -**

 **Noble Phantasm: EX**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Magic Resistant EX**

 **Presence Concealment EX**

 **Independent Manifestation EX**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Mystic Eyes EX**

 **World's Asylum EX**

 **Denial of Miracles EX**

 **Knowledge of Magic -**

 **Privilege of An Accomplished One** **-**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **?**

 **Biography:**

 **A nameless hero who existed even before the Age of Gods, the Age of Fire. He seized the First Flame in hope of changing the deteriorating world. Using its power, he rewrote reality and ended the Age of Fire. He lived through the ages of God and Man till he perishes in an unknown time in the far future.**

* * *

 **White Faction's Servants (Fate/Zero)**

* * *

 **Class: Assassin**

 **True Name: Semiramis**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title: Wise Queen of Assyria**

 **Height/Weight: 167cm** **51kg**

 **Alignment: Lawful Evil**

 **Strength: D**

 **Endurance: C**

 **Agility: C**

 **Mana: A**

 **Luck: A**

 **Noble Phantasm: B**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Presence Concealment C+**

 **Territory Creation EX  
**

 **Item Construction C**

 **Divinity C**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Familiar (Doves) D**

 **Double Summon B  
**

 **Arrogant King's Alcohol B+**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Hanging Gardens of Babylon - Aerial Garden of Vanity: Anti-World EX**

* * *

 **Class: Lancer**

 **True Name:** **Scáthach**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title:** **Queen of the Land of Shadows, Witch of Dun Scaith, Lord of Spirits**

 **Height/Weight:** **168cm 55kg**

 **Alignment: Neutral Good**

 **Strength: A**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: B**

 **Luck: C**

 **Noble Phantasm: A+**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance A**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Primordial Rune -**

 **Wisdom of Dun Scaith A+  
**

 **God Slayer B**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Gáe Bolg Alternative - Soaring Spear of Piercing Death: Anti-Unit B+**

 **Gate of Skye - Gate to the Magical Realm Brimming with Death: Anti-Army A+**

* * *

 **Class: Caster**

 **True Name: Tamamo no Mae**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title:** **Mizukume**

 **Height/Weight:** **160cm 49kg**

 **Alignment: Neutral Evil**

 **Strength: B**

 **Endurance: B**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: EX**

 **Luck: B**

 **Noble Phantasm: A**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Territory Creation B**

 **Divinity EX**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Witchcraft EX**

 **Shapeshift EX**

 **Fox's Wedding EX**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Suiten Nikkou Amaterasu Yano Shizu-Ishi -** **Eightfold Blessings of Amaterasu on the Weight Stone under the Sunlit Watery Heavens: Anti-Army C**

* * *

 **Class: Rider**

 **True Name: Medb**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title:** **Eternal Lady**

 **Height/Weight:** **154cm 41kg**

 **Alignment: Chaotic Evil**

 **Strength: D**

 **Endurance: D**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: B**

 **Luck: EX**

 **Noble Phantasm: A+**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Riding A**

 **Magic Resistance B**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Golden Rule (Body) A**

 **Charisma B**

 **Alluring Nightingale C**

 **Queen's Discipline A**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Chariot My Love - My Dear Iron Chariot: Anti-Army B+**

 **My Red Mead -** **My Dear Honey Alcohol: Anti-Army C**

 **Conchobar My Love -** **My Dear Future Vision: Anti-Unit C**

 **Fergus My Love -** **My Dear Rainbow Sword: Anti-Army A+**

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 **Class: Archer**

 **True Name: Oda Nobunaga**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title:** **Devil King of the Sixth Heaven**

 **Height/Weight: 1** **52cm 43kg**

 **Alignment: Lawful Neutral**

 **Strength: A**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: A**

 **Luck: A**

 **Noble Phantasm: -**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance A**

 **Independent Action A**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Strategy A**

 **Charisma A-**

 **Demon King EX  
**

 **Tenka Fubu - Innovation EX**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Three Thousand Worlds -** **Three Line Formation: Anti-Army D~EX**

 **Papiyas - the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven: Anti-Divine D~EX**

* * *

 **Class: Saber**

 **True Name: Nero Claudius**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title:** **Emperor of Roses**

 **Height/Weight:** **150cm 42kg**

 **Alignment: Chaotic Good**

 **Strength: C**

 **Endurance: C**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: A**

 **Luck: A**

 **Noble Phantasm: B**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance C**

 **Riding B**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Imperial Privilege EX**

 **Migraine B**

 **Thrice-setting Sun A**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Aestus Domus Aurea -** **Golden Theater of the Flamboyant: Anti-Encampment B**

 **Laus Saint Claudius - Imperium of the Maiden's Flowery Words: Anti-Encampment B**

 **Fax Caelestis - Closing Rose That Fames Stars: Anti-Unit B+**

* * *

 **Class: Berserker**

 **True Name: Kiyohime**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title: -**

 **Height/Weight:** **158cm 41kg**

 **Alignment: Chaotic Evil**

 **Strength: C**

 **Endurance: C**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: C**

 **Luck: C**

 **Noble Phantasm: EX**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Mad Enhancement EX**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Shapeshift B**

 **Stalking A**

 **Flame-Colored Kiss EX**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Tenshin Kashou Zanmai - Samadhi Through Transforming Flames: Anti-Unit (Self) EX**

* * *

 **Class: Ruler**

 **True Name: Saint Martha**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title: Dragon Rider**

 **Height/Weight: 161cm 49kg**

 **Alignment: Lawful Good**

 **Strength: C**

 **Endurance: B**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: A**

 **Luck: A+**

 **Noble Phantasm: A+**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Riding A++  
**

 **Magic Resistance A**

 **Divinity C**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Protection of the Faith A**

 **Miracle D+**

 **Saint of the Waterside C**

 **Vow of the Saintess C**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Tarasque - O' Tragic Drake Who Knew Naught of Love: Anti-Army A+**

 **Tarasque - The Dragon Shield that a Blade Shall Not Pass: Anti-Unit C**

* * *

 **Class: Caster**

 **True Name: Circe**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title: The Witch of Temptation and Depravity**

 **Height/Weight:** **147cm 39kg**

 **Alignment: Chaotic Neutral**

 **Strength: D**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: C**

 **Mana: A+**

 **Luck: A**

 **Noble Phantasm: C**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Territory Creation B**

 **Item Construction A**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **High-Speed Divine Words B**

 **Poisoned Meal A**

 **Advice for Sailing A**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Metabo Piglets - Forbidden Revelry: Anti-Unit C**

* * *

 **Blue Faction's Servants (Fate/Zero)**

* * *

 **Class: Saber**

 **Master: Emiya Kiritsugu**

 **True Name: Artoria Pendragon**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title: King of Knights**

 **Height/Weight: 154cm 42kg**

 **Alignment: Lawful Good**

 **Strength: B**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: A**

 **Luck: D**

 **Noble Phantasm: A++**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance A**

 **Riding A**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Charisma B**

 **Instinct A**

 **Mana Burst A**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Avalon -** **The Everdistant Utopia: Barrier EX**

 **Excalibur - Sword of Promised Victory: Anti-Fortress A++**

 **Invisible Air - Barrier of the Wind King C**

* * *

 **Class: Lancer**

 **Master:** **Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald**

 **True Name:** **Diarmuid Ua Duibhne**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Title:** **Diarmuid of the Love Spot**

 **Height/Weight: 184cm 85kg**

 **Alignment: Lawful Neutral**

 **Strength: B**

 **Endurance: C**

 **Agility: A+**

 **Mana: D**

 **Luck: E**

 **Noble Phantasm: B**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance B**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Eye of the Mind (True) B**

 **Love Spot C**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Gáe Buidhe - Yellow Rose of Mortality: Anti-Unit B**

 **Gáe Dearg - Crimson Rose of Exorcism: Anti-Unit B**

* * *

 **Class: Rider**

 **Master: Waver Velvet**

 **True Name:** **Alexander the Great (Iskandar)**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Title: King of Conquerors**

 **Height/Weight: 212cm 130kg**

 **Alignment: Neutral Good**

 **Strength: B**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: D**

 **Mana: C**

 **Luck: A+**

 **Noble Phantasm: A++**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Riding A+**

 **Magic Resistance D**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Charisma A**

 **Divinity C**

 **Military Tactics B**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Ionioi Hetairoi - Army of the King: Anti-Army EX**

 **Via Expugnatio - Distant Trampling Domination: Anti-Army A+**

* * *

 **Class: Archer**

 **Master: Tohsaka Tokiomi**

 **True Name: Gilgamesh**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Title: King of Heroes**

 **Height/Weight: 182cm 68kg**

 **Alignment: Chaotic Good**

 **Strength: B**

 **Endurance: B**

 **Agility: B**

 **Mana: A**

 **Luck: A**

 **Noble Phantasm: EX**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Independent Action A**

 **Magic Resistance C**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Charisma A+**

 **Divinity B**

 **Golden Rule A**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Gate of Babylon - King's Treasure: Anti-Unit E~A++**

 **Enûma Eliš - The Star of Creation that Split Heaven and Earth: Anti-World EX**

* * *

 **Class: Berserker**

 **Master: Matou Kariya**

 **True Name: Lancelot**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Title:** **Knight of the Lake**

 **Height/Weight: 191cm 81kg**

 **Alignment: Lawful Mad**

 **Strength: A**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: A+**

 **Mana: C**

 **Luck: B**

 **Noble Phantasm: A**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Mad Enhancement C**

 **Magic Resistance E**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Eternal Arms Mastership A+**

 **Protection of the Fairies A**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Arondight - The Unfading Light of the Lake: Anti-Unit A++**

 **For Someone's Glory - Not For One's Own Glory: Anti-Unit B**

 **Knight of Owner - A Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hand: Anti-Unit A++**

* * *

 **Class: Assassin**

 **Master: Kotomine Kirei**

 **True Name:** **Hassan-i-Sabbah**

 **Gender:** **Differs from each individual**

 **Title:** **Hassan of the Hundred Faces**

 **Height/Weight:** **Differs from each individual**

 **Alignment: Lawful Evil**

 **Strength: C**

 **Endurance: D**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: C**

 **Luck: E**

 **Noble Phantasm: B**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Presence Concealment A+**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Expert of Many Specializations A+**

 **Librarian of Stored Knowledge C**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Zabaniya - Delusional Illusion: Anti-Unit (Self) B+**

* * *

 **Skill Index**

* * *

 **World's Asylum**

 **Personal Skill: Rank EX**

 **The Servant will not experience resistance from the world when performing any kind of Mystery.**

 **The world itself will help the Servant, turning unfavorable situations into favorable ones, nullifying the requirement for Luck, as the Servant will never have a lower fortune than his opponent.**

 **Nature will be at the Servant's beck and call as all Phantasmal Species will find the Servant favorable and they will never attack the Servant on its own. Additionally, communication with Phantasmal Species is possible.**

 **XXXXXX**

 **Knowledge of Magic**

 **Personal Skill: Rank -**

 **The skill that represents all the knowledge on Magecraft and Magic the Servant had learned over the course of his life.**

 **It does not grant any effects as it** **is merely an indicator of the Servant's accomplishment in his search for the truth.**

 **XXXXXX**

 **Mystic Eyes**

 **Personal Skill: Rank EX**

 **A pair of eyes that can ?**

 **XXXXXX**

 **Denial of Miracles**

 **Personal Skill: Rank EX**

 **The effect of any skill that made the impossible possible is erased.**

 **XXXXXX**

 **Privilege of An Accomplished One**

 **Personal Skill: Rank -**

 **Allows the Servant to have five extra personal skills in addition to the original five, amounting to a total of ten, since the Servant Container isn't able to handle any more than that.** **The Servant also has the ability to switch them out with any other personal skill the Servant possesses at anytime he so desires.**

 **Current active skills:**

 **1\. Distorted Shadow A+**

 **A Skill that allows one to become one with the shadows, giving the Servant Presence Concealment no matter which class they are.** **The Servant's presence is distorted, leading to confusion to anyone who tries to discern his true form.**

 **The skill rank of Presence Concealment is depended on what the Servant would receive if he was summoned as an Assassin.**

 **2\. Flawless Disguise A+**

 **The Servant can freely change his shape or form without suffering from rank downs in his parameters.**

 **3\. Rational Insanity EX**

 **A similar skill to Mental Pollution, but mutual understanding is possible since the Servant ? instead of retaining his distorted mentality. The Servant has absolute immunity to mental interference.**

 **4\. Eye of the Mind (True) EX**

 **A heightened capacity for observation, refined through training, discipline and experience.** **A danger-avoidance ability that utilizes the intelligence collected up to the current time as the basis in order to predict the opponent's activity and change the current situation.**

 **This is not a result of talent, but an overwhelming amount of combat experience.** **A weapon wielded by none other than a mortal, gained through tenacious training.** **So long there is even a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of winning.**

 **5\. Golden Rule (Wealth & Treasure) B (A+++)**

 **A Skill that refers to the measurement of one's fortune to acquire wealth.** **The Skill is greatly ranked up the moment the Servant goes on a search for anything that can be called a "truly valuable artifact."**

* * *

 **Noble Phantasm Index**

* * *

 **Estelotte:** **Silver Dawn Which Reflects the Moonlight's Depth**

 **Owner: ?**

 **Type: Anti-Unit**

 **Rank: C**

 **Range: 1~Infinite**

 **Maximum number of targets: 1**

 **A silver sabre that has the power to manipulate its wielder's concept of distance, granting them a power to move to a location instantaneously.**

 **However, it is not a form of spatial transportation but a type of transportation where the concept of "distance" is altered. Additionally, its power can only affect its wielder.**

 **Although the pseudo-teleportation is limited to one's vision, the Servant who wields this Noble Phantasm possesses the highest level of Clairvoyance, which in turn makes this weapon's potential to increase to an incredible level.**

 **This weapon will return to its owner when commanded, and the magical energy consumed for the usage of this Noble Phantasm is** **negligible as even a Servant with the lowest ranked Mana won't feel tired after using it thousands of times s** **ince their Mana regenerates faster than it is being used.**

* * *

 **Rasiel: Tome of Revelation**

 **Owner: ?**

 **Type: Anti-World**

 **Rank: A+++**

 **Range: 1~Infinite**

 **Maximum number of targets: Infinite**

 **A book that gives the user information about anything that has ever happened in the world, no matter where and when, making its user near omniscient.**

 **Its limitation is that the book can only give facts, not answers to its user's problems. It is also incapable of giving information about a person's inner thoughts and events that have not occurred yet.**

 **Everything written in Rasiel is fact, therefore, everything that its owner writes in the book will become reality.** **However, the ability to change the future is not absolute as skills such as Magic Resistance and Divinity are able to resist it to a certain extent.**

* * *

 **Alexandros: Shining Symbol of Light**

 **Owner: ?**

 **Type: Anti-Army**

 **Rank: B-**

 **Range: 1~60**

 **Maximum number of targets: 250**

 **A holy sword which symbolizes the light and prosperity of man.**

 **It grants its wielder the ability generate, reflect, and refract all light in existence. However, it is a sword that is not meant to be used against the just, causing it to suffer a rank down when used against any hostile of good alignment. It is also slightly weakened during the night.**

 **When its true name is unleashed, two hundred and fifty rays of light from the sun will be refracted as they head towards the enemy's direction. A massive sunbeam will follow after the minor ones, it can literally be called a 'Photon Laser.'**


	2. Beginning of Zero (Part 1)

**In the middle of nowhere**

 _"I have no regrets."_

 _"Truly? All those efforts, all the pain you've suffered, would you throw all of them away?"_

 _"Such a small price to pay, I will not regret it."_

 _"Even if the ones you desire to save are worthless?"_

 _"Even if they are worthless in my eyes, but even so, for mankind, this sacrifice is worth it."_

 _"Looks like it's impossible to persuade you. How about a contract?"_

 _"A contract?"_

 _"Assist me, protect the world, change history, become a true hero."_

 _"Do I look like a fool to you?"_

 _"No, I'm offering a different type of contract. One where you retains freedom. You will eliminate the threats of humanity and perhaps, be remembered this time."_

 _"I see, truly an offer someone like me can't refuse."_

 _"So, do you accept?"_

 _"Yes."_

* * *

 **Fuyuki City, Day 1**

In a dimly lit room, a young man in white shirt and black suit vest stood in front of a magic circle. After checking for errors, he breathed deeply and fed prana to the circle.

"Let silver and steel be the essence.

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.

Let white be the color I pay tribute to."

Along with his words, the magic circle started shining.

"Heed my words.

My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny.

If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer me."

The light shines brighter, more prana flows to the magic circle. The man increases his chanting volume.

"I hereby declare!

That I shall be all the good in the world.

That I shall defeat all evil in the world."

Winds swirls and prana overflows the room. The man was shouting the incantation at this point.

"From the Seventh Heaven, clad in the three great words of power,

Come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!"

The magic circle glowed in a blinding light. After a moment, the light dimmed down and a woman wrapped in a dress as dark as midnight stood before him. She possessed peerless beauty, with long black hair and black eyes along with pointed ears.

"Servant, Assassin of White comes forth from your summon." Assassin said with arrogance. "Are you my summoner?"

The white-haired man responds. "I am. Oh Wise Queen of Assyria"

"Oh? You know of my identity?" Semiramis questioned with a curious look.

The man answered showing the seven set Command Seals on his arm. "I summoned you with a catalyst. I am the sole Master of the White Faction and you're the first Servant I have summoned. We need to build a base for our faction and your Hanging Gardens is the best there is."

"Seems like I was summoned by a competent one, I assume that you have prepared everything?"

"I have prepared the required materials, shall we start with it now?"

"Very well, my gardens shall be upon this world once again." The Assyrian Queen smiled.

* * *

A woman who dresses entirely in black walked into a room.

"There are no news relating to the White Faction."

A man who is staring at a laptop answer.

"No news after all this time, not even from the Church?"

He wears a black suit and a similarly colored trench coat, his face is blank and his eyes are vacant.

"No, though five other Masters of the Blue Faction are confirmed to be in Fuyuki."

There was a sound of a knock on the door, opening to reveal a beautiful woman with long silver hair and red eyes.

"Kiritsugu, are you alright? You look stressed."

"I am fine, Iri." The man answered, finally revealing some emotions. "It's just the sudden news of there being a White Faction threw all my plans off, I'll have to plan the war all over again. I will get some sleep in an hour or two."

"Do you think it's strange? Perhaps the excess prana from the grail caused this. After all, no one won in the last three wars." The woman speculated.

"I do not know, but I will not fail. I will win this grail, for the salvation of mankind."

* * *

"Master, are you heading to the summoning room?" An extremely beautiful woman with long purple hair and red eyes asked. She wears a full-body outfit that highlights her curvaceous body.

"Yes, Lancer. Would you like to join me?" The Master of White Faction asked.

"I'd rather not, the Servant you'll be summoning might turn hostile upon seeing another Servant."

"Very well."

The man headed into a room with a large magic circle and read out the chant used for summoning Servants. After a blinding flash, a woman possessing fox characteristics such as the ears and tail stood in the circle. She has yellow eyes and long pink hair that she keeps tied up, and wore revealing blue kimono.

"Caster of White has answered your summons! Are you my Master?" Caster was cheerful, and there seems to be a hint of... infatuation?

"Indeed Caster, with your summoning, our faction now possesses four Servants. I'd like you to assist Assassin in surveillance, we have found all the Masters of the Blue Faction. The war will start after the summoning of the remaining Servants."

"Yes Master! It's the duty of the wife to support the husband!"

"Husband...? What do you mean Caster?"

"I have no desire for the Grail. My wish is to be a devoted wife and Master has already granted it, by summoning me!" Caster answered cheerfully, coming closer to the man.

"If that is your wish, I shall comply to my best. But we have a war going on right now so let's discuss further after this war. For now, please aid Assassin in monitoring the other faction's Masters." The man smiled, making Caster happier.

"I'm better at offensive witchcraft but I'll do my best!"

* * *

"This war is getting more and more interesting. What do you think, Lancer?" A man with blonde hair and bright green eyes said.

"I will present the heads of enemy Servants to My Lord's honor without doubt." A remarkably handsome man with quirky long hair combed backwards in a rough fashion said, kneeling respectfully on the ground of the royal suite.

"Of course you will, you are the Servant I have summoned after all. I'll defeat all other Masters and Servants and claim victory in this war for the pride of Archibald!" The man exclaimed.

"Kayneth, don't get so excited. The war hasn't start yet, and it's too much to ask Lancer to take down all the other Servants. Even if he has the ability to do so, we do not have enough prana to supply that many fights between Servants. He'll definitely has to use his Noble Phantasm many times to take down that many Servants." A woman with red hair argued.

"You are right, Sola-Ui. I was in too of a hurry to end these cowards of White Faction. As expected of my fiancée." Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald calmed down.

"Kayneth, why don't you go reinforce the Bounded Fields. I believe additional traps in the exit door and the elevator will help us in achieving victory if any Master decides to attack us. Someone like the Magus Killer."

"Emiya Kiritsugu? That shame of magi. It's truly infuriating that I must be teamed with someone like him during this war, a man of no honor nor pride. Not to mention the other Masters, a failure of a student, a priest, and a third-rate Magus with one foot in the grave. That Eastern Magus, Tohsaka Tokiomi, is the only acceptable Master in the Blue Faction. This war is truly off a horrible start for our faction." Kayneth scowled.

* * *

"From the Seventh Heaven, clad in the three great words of power,

Come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!"

A shining radiance flashed and the final Servant of the White Faction has been summoned. She is a young girl with pink hair in a white costume, with a goddess-like perfect body.

"I am Servant Rider of White! Are you my Master?!"

"Greetings Rider, you are the last Servant to be summoned. I am the the only Master of White Faction, please call me Titus."

"Master! Are you really? This might just be interesting! Very well, just for a while, I'll become your whip."

The man nodded smiling. "Let us head to the throne room and get acquainted with the other Servants. The war will start tonight."

"All right, then. I shall see the strong warriors you have summoned!"

* * *

"Bye bye, papa! Kirei you better watch my papa's back or else!" A young girl with aqua eyes and long wavy black hair styled in twin-tails shouted.

"Take care, Rin. And don't worry about me, I will win this war." A man in red suit replied smiling.

"I will do my best, but nothing is certain during combat." A man with brown hair and eyes said, he was dressed in clerical clothing.

"I really really don't like people like you!" Tohsaka Rin pouted.

"That wasn't nice, Rin. Apologize to Kirei." The man in red suit, Tohsaka Tokiomi scolded while a woman walks into the room. "Aoi, you should take Rin and leave soon."

"But papa..." Rin pouted once again, not apologizing to the priest. "Hmph!" She glared at the priest and turns around, leaving through the door.

"Rin! Wait for me." Aoi bowed slight at the two men and followed after, leaving the two men in the room.

"Still young." Tokiomi sighed, turning to the priest. "Kirei, any news on the White Faction?"

"Unfortunately, we haven't made contact with any Master of the White Faction. Do they perhaps know?"

"To not follow the rules. Arrogant, or careful? I do not think that they know we are collaborating." Tokiomi sighed. "We do not even know the seventh Servant of our faction."

"All the Servants have been summoned, they should move soon." An aged voice sounded from the doorway. The man is similarly clad in clerical clothing, but with greying hair, showing his age.

"Father, has the seventh Master of the Blue Faction contacted you yet?" Kotomine Kirei asked.

"There have been no news of the last Servant, we will proceed with or without him." Kotomine Risei replied solemnly. "Meanwhile, Ruler has been summoned."

"The Servant which oversees the Holy Grail War. Will this affect our plan?" Kirei said, face blank this whole conversation.

"It'll be might, for I have summoned the strongest Servant." Tokiomi said confidently.

"That's right! This war is already won!" A tall and dignified young man with golden hair standing up like a blazing flame and blood crimson eyes appeared in the room. "These mongrels dare to try take my treasure, none of them will survived."

"Indeed, your majesty. All treasures in this world belong to only you." Tokiomi bowed.

* * *

"Since Rider has been summoned, we can officialy begin the war." Assassin started.

"I, the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven will massacre all of Servants of Blue, ahahaha!" A young girl in military uniform shouted.

"Do not get conceited, Archer." Lancer said.

"This war is in the bag with me here!" Saber, a blonde-haired young girl in a military-styled red dress said haughtily.

"We can just drop bombs on them!" Archer said, ignoring Lancer.

"You two... do not be so shameful in front of Hus- Master!" Caster exclaimed.

The door to the throne room opens, a white-haired man and a woman steps into the room.

"So these are the warriors you have summo- Wait! Why are they all women?!" Rider asked, shocked.

"I summoned them by compatibility with the exception of Assassin, do not question me why they are all women. Though I do not doubt their abilities." Titus, the sole Master of White Faction replied seriously.

"Well said, Master. We shall grant death upon our enemies and win the Holy Grail." Lancer nodded content.

"Lord Anchin..." Berserker, a young girl with what seems to be horns said lovingly. She possesses pale green hair and yellow eyes, she was wearing a kimono.

"Although I have to bad news." Titus said with a grim face. "The Holy Grail is corrupted."

All the Servants in the throne room where shocked, even if they do not show it on their face.

"What?! Master, does that mean we're going to fight a meaningless war?!" Archer shouted, surprised.

"I will apologize, but this war has to be won." Titus said gravely "The Einzbern summoned the fake god of darkness, Angra Mainyu, during the Third Holy Grail War. He was no more than an ordinary villager that bore 'All the World's Evil' and was quickly killed at the beginning of the war. Angra Mainyu tainted the Greater Grail when he was trapped in it so any wish granted by the Holy Grail will have irreversible consequences, ultimately wiping out humanity. My purpose is to purify the Greater Grail of all the curses within. So please, will you assist me in this task to save the world?"

"Of course master!" Caster replied first. "I swore that my fate is in your hands when you summoned me."

"I will assist in your quest to cleanse the false diety, Master." Lancer agreed with conviction.

"I'll do anything you want, Lord Anchin!" Berserker agreed as a matter of course.

Other Servants quickly agreed soon after, making Titus smile genuinely.

"We'll observe the situation on the ground and strike the enemy Servants when opportunity presents itself. Assassin, will you please show us the surveillance mirror." The man requested.

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
** **Well that's it for the first chapter, enjoy!**

 **I'm not sure if the Servants get Stat Boosts for the MC summoning them.**

 **I don't really know the Servants' personality well enough, I hope I don't make any major mistakes.**

 **I'll be fixing errors in another time, for now it's time to sleep.**

 **EDIT 1: Increased Stats, Servants get extra parameters for being summoned with huge amount of prana. Since I don't really know how it works, I increased all stats below A rank by one. Skills don't get any increase though.**

 **EDIT 2: Rewritten and fixed some grammar errors.**

 **EDIT 3: Added more details**

* * *

 **Servant Stats (Japanese Servants get Boosts):**

 **Class: Assassin**

 **True Name: Semiramis**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title: Wise Queen of Assyria**

 **Height/Weight: 167cm** **51kg**

 **Alignment: Lawful Evil**

 **Strength: D**

 **Endurance: C**

 **Agility: C**

 **Mana: A**

 **Luck: A**

 **Noble Phantasm: B**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Presence Concealment C+**

 **Territory Creation EX  
**

 **Item Construction C**

 **Divinity C**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Familiar (Doves) D**

 **Double Summon B  
**

 **Arrogant King's Alcohol B+**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Hanging Gardens of Babylon - Aerial Garden of Vanity: Anti-World EX**

* * *

 **Class: Lancer**

 **True Name:** **Scáthach**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title:** **Queen of the Land of Shadows, Witch of Dun Scaith, Lord of Spirits**

 **Height/Weight:** **168cm 55kg**

 **Alignment: Neutral Good**

 **Strength: A**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: B**

 **Luck: C**

 **Noble Phantasm: A+**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance A**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Primordial Rune -**

 **Wisdom of Dun Scaith A+  
**

 **God Slayer B**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Gáe Bolg Alternative - Soaring Spear of Piercing Death: Anti-Unit B+**

 **Gate of Skye - Gate to the Magical Realm Brimming with Death: Anti-Army A+**

* * *

 **Class: Caster**

 **True Name: Tamamo no Mae**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title:** **Mizukume**

 **Height/Weight:** **160cm 49kg**

 **Alignment: Neutral Evil**

 **Strength: B**

 **Endurance: B**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: EX**

 **Luck: B**

 **Noble Phantasm: A**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Territory Creation B**

 **Divinity EX**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Witchcraft EX**

 **Shapeshift EX**

 **Fox's Wedding EX**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Suiten Nikkou Amaterasu Yano Shizu-Ishi -** **Eightfold Blessings of Amaterasu on the Weight Stone under the Sunlit Watery Heavens: Anti-Army C**

* * *

 **Class: Rider**

 **True Name: Medb**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title:** **Eternal Lady**

 **Height/Weight:** **154cm 41kg**

 **Alignment: Chaotic Evil**

 **Strength: D**

 **Endurance: D**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: B**

 **Luck: EX**

 **Noble Phantasm: A+**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Riding A**

 **Magic Resistance B**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Golden Rule (Body) A**

 **Charisma B**

 **Alluring Nightingale C**

 **Queen's Discipline A**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Chariot My Love - My Dear Iron Chariot: Anti-Army B+**

 **My Red Mead -** **My Dear Honey Alcohol: Anti-Army C**

 **Conchobar My Love -** **My Dear Future Vision: Anti-Unit C**

 **Fergus My Love -** **My Dear Rainbow Sword: Anti-Army A+**

* * *

 **Class: Archer**

 **True Name: Oda Nobunaga**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title:** **Devil King of the Sixth Heaven**

 **Height/Weight: 1** **52cm 43kg**

 **Alignment: Lawful Neutral**

 **Strength: A**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: A**

 **Luck: A**

 **Noble Phantasm: -**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance A**

 **Independent Action A**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Strategy A**

 **Charisma A-**

 **Demon King EX  
**

 **Tenka Fubu - Innovation EX**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Three Thousand Worlds -** **Three Line Formation: Anti-Army D~EX**

 **Papiyas - the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven: Anti-Divine D~EX**

* * *

 **Class: Saber**

 **True Name: Nero Claudius**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title:** **Emperor of Roses**

 **Height/Weight:** **150cm 42kg**

 **Alignment: Chaotic Good**

 **Strength: C**

 **Endurance: C**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: A**

 **Luck: A**

 **Noble Phantasm: B**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance C**

 **Riding B**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Imperial Privilege EX**

 **Migraine B**

 **Thrice-setting Sun A**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Aestus Domus Aurea -** **Golden Theater of the Flamboyant: Anti-Encampment B**

 **Laus Saint Claudius - Imperium of the Maiden's Flowery Words: Anti-Encampment B**

 **Fax Caelestis - Closing Rose That Fames Stars: Anti-Unit B+**

* * *

 **Class: Berserker**

 **True Name: Kiyohime**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title: -**

 **Height/Weight:** **158cm 41kg**

 **Alignment: Chaotic Evil**

 **Strength: C**

 **Endurance: C**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: C**

 **Luck: C**

 **Noble Phantasm: EX**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Mad Enhancement EX**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Shapeshift B**

 **Stalking A**

 **Flame-Colored Kiss EX**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Tenshin Kashou Zanmai - Samadhi Through Transforming Flames: Anti-Unit (Self) EX**


	3. Beginning of Zero (Part 2)

**In the Throne Room of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon,** **Night 1**

"Saber of Blue has moved toward the port, she'll soon meet Lancer of Blue." Semiramis said, looking at a mirror which is showing both Saber and Lancer of Blue.

"Great, let's observe for now."

"But Master! We should just attack the pair and take them out with numbers!" Oda Nobunaga shouted, clearly excited about the upcoming fight.

"Please be patient, we'll have the opportunity soon." Titus smiled awkwardly.

"That girl, she looks awfully like me. Don't you agree, Rider?"

"Huh...?"

"Umu, she sure has good taste!"

* * *

Saber of Blue, a young girl with blonde hair and green eyes moved towards the port of Fuyuki along with a silver-haired homunculus.

"We'll soon arrive at where the prana pulse was felt, Saber!" Irisviel said.

At this moment, a figure hidden in the shadows slowly walks toward them.

"Saber of Blue huh? You are the first Servant I have met." Lancer of Blue was standing between large amount of shipping containers.

"And you must be Lancer of Blue. Are you trying to lure out the enemies without waiting for other Servants?"

"Yes, I wish for a honorable duel wi-"

At this moment, A flying object drew a straight line across the sky and was heading directly to their location, shedding violet sparks of lightning on its way.

"A chariot...?" Irisviel exclaimed.

The chariot, pulled by two bulls landed between the two Servants. A gigantic man with red hair stood upon it.

"MY NAME IS ISKANDAR, THE KING OF CONQUERORS! Summoned as the Rider of Blue!" Iskandar shouted, grinning.

"What are you doing?! You stupid moron!" A young boy who is also on the chariot chastised. "I told you to wait!"

"Hahaha. Isn't it fine, Master. We'll have to meet up with the other Servants anyway." Iskandar laughed, hitting his Master's back.

 _Cough cough_ "It's not fine!" The young boy replied, coughing.

Iskandar ignores him and looked around the port, he seems to be checking for the signs for other Servants. After a while, he pulled out his gladius, raised it to the sky and declared. "Oh heroes gathered for this Holy Grail War! Why don't you show yourself, hiding is an act of cowardice!"

"What are you doing?!" Rider's Master seemed to be extremely agitated at this point, Saber and Lancer seemed to be shocked too.

"That fool managed to conquer the world?" Kiritsugu, who is hiding on a crane distant away said to no one. He soon return to observing the port through the scope of his sniper rifle.

After a gleam of golden light, a blonde man with golden armor appears atop a street pole.

"What did you say, mongrel." The golden man said with extreme arrogance. "You dare to call yourself a king for when I am the only real king in this Heaven and Earth?"

"The only king?" Iskandar replied, scratching his cheek. "I do not know who you are but I was definitely a king."

"Then listen well to my name. I am the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh. Everything in this world belong to me!" Gilgamesh proclaimed proudly.

...

"Haha, hahahaha"

In an alley, a man wearing blue hoodie with black cargo pants sat there. He seems to be half-dead, worms move beneath his skin occasionally.

"Tohsaka Tokiomi..."

With hatred burning in his eyes, Matou Kariya ordered.

"Kill him... Kill that Archer!"

...

A this moment, a black knight materializes and stares at Gilgamesh.

"Who allowed you to stare at me, mongrel." Gilgamesh seemed extremely offended.

The black knight roared and rush toward Gilgamesh. Two golden portals appear holding a sword and a spear, aimed and fired at the black knight. The knight caught the sword and used it to deflect the spear.

"That's the Berserker of Blue, why is he attacking Archer?!" The young boy, Waver Velvet exclaimed.

"You dare touch my treasures?!" Ten more golden portals holding various type of weapons appeared and shot toward Berserker, but Berserker managed to hold his ground, deflecting all the weapons and threw the last at the street pole Gilgamesh is standing.

"A lowly mongrel dare to rebel against the king?!" Fifty golden portals with weapons came into existence, prepared to fire at Berserker.

"Are those... Noble Phanta-" Irisviel was shocked, but before she can finish speaking...

Suddenly, The World Burned.

* * *

"It's time. Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster follow me. Our main target is the Archer of Blue, Gilgamesh. We will focus on him, as for other Servants of Blue, Lancer is an easy target and Rider will be weakened by Archer's reality marble." The Master of White Faction decided to move, he turned to look at the young girl at his side. "Archer, use your reality marble and your Noble Phantasm immediately upon contact with the Servants of Blue. I want you to take out Gilgamesh no matter the cost, even if you have to use your Noble Phantasm multiple times."

"Alright, I'll kill that demigod! He won't stand a chance before the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven!" Oda Nobunaga declared.

"Finally! The World shall behold my beauty once again! Praetor, who shall I take on?" Nero Claudius asked excitedly.

"I'll leave Saber of Blue to you. Her identity is the Arthur Pendragon, becareful." The Titus adviced with a stern gaze.

"The King of Knights? Praetor, are you sure? I didn't know the King of Britain is a young girl!" Nero questioned, clearly doubting him by the look of her face.

"Her true name is Artoria Pendragon, she hid her gender due to gender inequality at the time she lived. You are also a young girl when you're supposed to be a man, history isn't always correct. Focus on the task at hand."

"What about us, Master?" Tamamo no Mae asked, inching closer.

"Lancer will take down Lancer of Blue. He is Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, first warrior of the knights of Fianna. He possesses two spears, a red spear which can sever all ties with magical energy and a yellow spear which can inflicts wounds that cannot be healed naturally or with Magecraft."

"Gáe Dearg and Gáe Buidhe?, interesting spears he has. Though he won't be a problem, I can dispatch him easily, Master." Scáthach nodded, she seemed to be the one with the most battle experience among the Servants of White.

"A spearman! I'll see how strong he is compare to Cú Chulainn." Medb said, thrilled at the idea of meeting another capable warrior.

"Just don't make a mess..." Scáthach turned to the woman who caused her disciple's downfall.

"Of course, do you think I'm a lose woman?" Medb flinched at the dead stares the other Servants gave her.

"You two can talk it out next time. Caster and Rider, you two will be on backup. Assassin will be on lookout and Berserker, well, she will be cooking dinner." The man moves toward the exit with a strange expression on his face.

"Why did you summon her anyway...?" Tamamo asked.

* * *

"Papiyas!" With the voice of a young girl, the land turned into a scorching hell.

"W-What?!" Masters and Servants of the Blue Faction exclaimed, followed by the same young girl's voice.

"Show your corpse to the Three Thousand Worlds... Demon Descent! Behold, the Demon King's Three Line Formation!" Three thousand musket materializes and shot toward Gilgamesh, the laser beams moving at incredible speed and seemed impossible to dodge.

"My power. What did you do, mongrel?!" Gilgamesh exclaimed, but he was already too late.

Three thousand red beams hits Gilgamesh and incinerated him immediately, taking out the King of Heroes from the war.

...

 _Crash_

"Archer perished!" Tohsaka Tokiomi stood up from his chair, shocked. His wine glass fell to the floor of the office room, staining it red.

"The White Faction, they ambushed us." Kotomine Kirei stood up as well.

"Archer is Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes! Even if he is ambushed, how can he possibly fall that easily?!" Tokiomi shouted hysterically, all his plans were ruined the moment the Holy Grail War turned into a team battle. And now his Servant, the oldest and strongest king, fell on the first night.

...

"Hahaha!" After the fire die down, the people on site was able to see the aftermath. Archer of Blue is gone, and there is a young girl in military uniform standing atop the shipping containers, laughing. "Take that you useless god!"

 _Clang!_

Diarmuid suddenly deflects an attack from behind, a purple-haired woman wielding twin red spears stood there.

"Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, your life is mine." The woman rushes at him, swinging her spears.

"Why do you know my true name?" Diarmuid deflected her attacks. "And do you have no honor?! Sneak attacking like a coward!"

"There is no honor in war, prepare yourself." She gave him a quick thrust.

...

 _Clang!_

At the same time Scáthach attack Diarmuid. Artoria Pendragon blocks a slash heading towards her neck, a young girl with similar features stood before her. She is dressed in red and wield a scarlet long sword.

"Umu. You aren't bad, Saber of Blue! As expected of the King of Knights." Nero said, charging at Artoria with her sword.

"You know my identity?!" Artoria blocks her attacks, shocked.

"Praetor told me!" Nero continue swinging her sword at Artoria, producing sparks everywhere.

"Praetor?"

"He's my Master!" Nero slashes at Artoria once again.

...

"Boy, we need to get out of here." Iskandar said to Waver with a grim face.

"We need to help the other servants, Rider!" Waver exclaimed, looking back at him with a confused face. "They are our allies!"

"I can't, Boy. The flames back then weakened me greatly. I'm not in the condition for combat. Although I do feel sorry for Saber and Lancer, but we need to leave, now." Iskandar said solemnly.

"But-" Waver was cut off, he was picked up by Iskandar. "W-Wait!"

"No buts, boy!" Iskandar starts retreating. "My Divine Bulls were burned directly, we won't be able to run if we wait any longer!"

...

"Kiritsugu, what do we do?" Hisau Maiya, the woman dressed in black asked through a radio. She was proned on a warehouse looking over the battlefield.

"We retreat. Tell Iri to leave with Saber, now!" Kiritsugu, already climbed down the crane replied. _'Were they observing us this whole time? We need to get out of here right now if they already know our positions.'_ He thought.

...

"Hahaha!" Matou Kariya laughed hysterically, blood leaking from his face. "Take that, Tokiomi! Your Servant is dead!"

Berserker stood behind him, long since retreated by his order.

"Though I'm not the one to kill your Servant, this is the first step of my revenge!" He had a cruel smile on.

...

At the port, two young girls with similar features were engaged in combat.

"Saber! Kiritsugu told me that we need to leave!" Irisviel yelled at Artoria while looking at the battle between two legends.

"But Irisviel! Lancer is in danger!" Saber blocks an attack towards her side and gave a vertical slash towards the red Saber.

 _Clang!_

"Are you running?" Nero teases, parrying Artoria's offense.

"Rider has already left and Lancer is losing badly! Saber, please!" Irisviel shouted, looking at the retreating figure of Iskandar. "The situation is extremely bad, we don't have the ability to help Lancer!" She pleaded.

"You know, you're not our primary target. This emperor wouldn't care if you run now." Nero teases once more.

"...Fine." Saber seemed to finally give in after a long contemplation. "But know this, I will not abandon my allies again, this is on a knight's honor and pride. I will retreat this time to escort you to safety." Saber said grimly, leading Irisviel away from the battlefield.

...

On a warehouse roof, a blonde-haired man stood in the shadows.

"Dammit! The Masters of White Faction, do they have no pride?!" Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald exclaimed, frustrated at the situation. _'The other Masters and Servants of Blue are retreating and Lancer is losing. He'll be surrounded by multiple enemy Servants at this rate.'_ He looks at the red tattoo on his hand. _'_ _It_ _can't be helped...'_ With a conflicted expression, he chanted. "With my Command Seal, I ord-" But it was too late for him.

 _Shick._

Kayneth's body collapse onto the warehouse roof. Titus stood behind him, holding a bloodied sabre.

 _'Lancer, I just took down Diarmuid's Master.'_ He said with no emotions through telepathy. _'I killed the observing Assassin too, use your Noble Phantasm and kill Diarmuid. In case he decides to retreat and contract another Master, even if the chances are low.'_

...

 _'Very well, Master'_

"My Lord?!" Diarmuid cried out. "You ac-"

Diarmuid didn't finish his sentence since he felt great amount of prana gather at Scáthach spears.

"Using your Noble Phantasm at this time, you truly want to be certain of my death." Diarmuid said, looking at the two glowing spears.

"Do not blame me, this is a war. My master is simply cautious." She readied the spears with a cold expression. "Remember my name, Scáthach, the person who will grant you death."

"Queen of the Land of Shadows?! How is it possible for someone like you to be summoned?!" Diarmuid said, shocked. Knowing that the Queen of the Land of Shadows isn't supposed to be dead yet.

The two demonic spears shine in crimson.

"So I had no chance of victory from the start...?" Diarmuid sighed at the idea of facing a supposedly Divine Spirit and God Slayer. "But it doesn't mean I won't fight till the end, Witch of Dun Scaith!" He ran towards the purple-haired spearwoman, readying for the final showdown. "Gae Dearg! Gae Buidhe!"

"Your bravery is admirable" Scáthach looked at him with respect. "If we've met in life, I might've taken you as a disciple." The crimson spears were flowing with massive prana at this point. "Farewell, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne"

"Stab and penetrate... Thrust and drill, Gáe Bolg Alternative!" She lunged the first spear, pinning Diarmuid in the air, then she threw the second spear striking through him.

 _Shick._

"I am sorry for failing you, My Lord..." Diarmuid disappear in particles of light, announcing the end of the first night of the Fourth Holy Grail War.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I've decided to just start writing more freely instead of following the lore of Nasuverse. After all, I'm writing this fanfiction for fun. Chapter length will be atleast 1.5k~2k words in the future.**

 **This story will stop following the original Fate/Zero from now on, but I'll include some of the memorable scenes.**

 **Also surprise surprise, you didn't expect this right? right?**

 **EDIT 1: Fixed grammar errors**

 **EDIT 2: Added the new details from rewrite**

 **EDIT 3: Added more details**

* * *

 **Servant Stats:**

 **Class: Saber**

 **Master: Emiya Kiritsugu**

 **True Name: Artoria Pendragon**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title: King of Knights**

 **Height/Weight: 154cm 42kg**

 **Alignment: Lawful Good**

 **Strength: B**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: A**

 **Luck: D**

 **Noble Phantasm: A++**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance A**

 **Riding A**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Charisma B**

 **Instinct A**

 **Mana Burst A**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Avalon -** **The Everdistant Utopia: Barrier EX**

 **Excalibur - Sword of Promised Victory: Anti-Fortress A++**

 **Invisible Air - Barrier of the Wind King C**

* * *

 **Class: Lancer**

 **Master:** **Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald**

 **True Name:** **Diarmuid Ua Duibhne**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Title:** **Diarmuid of the Love Spot**

 **Height/Weight: 184cm 85kg**

 **Alignment: Lawful Neutral**

 **Strength: B**

 **Endurance: C**

 **Agility: A+**

 **Mana: D**

 **Luck: E**

 **Noble Phantasm: B**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Magic Resistance B**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Eye of the Mind (True) B**

 **Love Spot C**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Gáe Buidhe - Yellow Rose of Mortality: Anti-Unit B**

 **Gáe Dearg - Crimson Rose of Exorcism: Anti-Unit B**

* * *

 **Class: Rider**

 **Master: Waver Velvet**

 **True Name:** **Alexander the Great (Iskandar)**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Title: King of Conquerors**

 **Height/Weight: 212cm 130kg**

 **Alignment: Neutral Good**

 **Strength: B**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: D**

 **Mana: C**

 **Luck: A+**

 **Noble Phantasm: A++**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Riding A+**

 **Magic Resistance D**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Charisma A**

 **Divinity C**

 **Military Tactics B**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Ionioi Hetairoi - Army of the King: Anti-Army EX**

 **Via Expugnatio - Distant Trampling Domination: Anti-Army A+**

* * *

 **Class: Archer**

 **Master: Tohsaka Tokiomi**

 **True Name: Gilgamesh**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Title: King of Heroes**

 **Height/Weight: 182cm 68kg**

 **Alignment: Chaotic Good**

 **Strength: B**

 **Endurance: B**

 **Agility: B**

 **Mana: A**

 **Luck: A**

 **Noble Phantasm: EX**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Independent Action A**

 **Magic Resistance C**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Charisma A+**

 **Divinity B**

 **Golden Rule A**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Gate of Babylon - King's Treasure: Anti-Unit E~A++**

 **Enûma Eliš - The Star of Creation that Split Heaven and Earth: Anti-World EX**

* * *

 **Class: Berserker**

 **Master: Matou Kariya**

 **True Name: Lancelot**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Title:** **Knight of the Lake**

 **Height/Weight: 191cm 81kg**

 **Alignment: Lawful Mad**

 **Strength: A**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: A+**

 **Mana: C**

 **Luck: B**

 **Noble Phantasm: A**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Mad Enhancement C**

 **Magic Resistance E**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Eternal Arms Mastership A+**

 **Protection of the Fairies A**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Arondight - The Unfading Light of the Lake: Anti-Unit A++**

 **For Someone's Glory - Not For One's Own Glory: Anti-Unit B**

 **Knight of Owner - A Knight Does Not Die with Empty Hand: Anti-Unit A++**

* * *

 **Class: Assassin**

 **Master: Kotomine Kirei**

 **True Name:** **Hassan-i-Sabbah**

 **Gender:** **Differs from each individual**

 **Title:** **Hassan of the Hundred Faces**

 **Height/Weight:** **Differs from each individual**

 **Alignment: Lawful Evil**

 **Strength: C**

 **Endurance: D**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: C**

 **Luck: E**

 **Noble Phantasm: B**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Presence Concealment A+**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Expert of Many Specializations A+**

 **Librarian of Stored Knowledge C**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Zabaniya - Delusional Illusion: Anti-Unit (Self) B+**

* * *

 **Class: Caster**

 **Master: ?**

 **True Name: ?**

 **Gender: ?**

 **Title: ?**

 **Height/Weight: ?**

 **Alignment: ?**

 **Strength:** **?**

 **Endurance:** **?**

 **Agility:** **?**

 **Mana:** **?**

 **Luck: ?**

 **Noble Phantasm: ?**

 **Class Skills:**

?

 **Personal Skills:**

 **?**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

?


	4. The Second Day (Part 1)

_In a ruined church, a white-haired young man was standing in front of a group of little girls. The girls have an average age of ten and they all seemed to be excited upon seeing the man._

 _"Sensei! Sensei! What are we learning today?" A girl with long lilac-colored hair asked, she was holding a doll in the shape of a white bear._

 _The man pulled out a large wooden board filled with words and numbers on it._

 _"I'll teach you how to read this morning, and about numbers in the afternoon." The man smiled kindly._

 _"Ehhh, again? But that's boring! Why don't you tell us stories. Please?" A twin-tailed girl with red hair and eyes said in an outburst._

 _"Enju-chan is right, tell us more stories sensei!" Another little girl with long black hair agreed._

 _"Alright. Alright. It can't be help." The man smile wryly. "I'll tell you a story. But. You'll have to pay extra attention in the afternoon, got it?"_

 _"Yay! Sensei is the best!" The girls cheered._

 _..._

 _Huff huff huff_

 _The white-haired man ran with incredible speed._ _With heavy footsteps, he ran through a forest and reached the front of a large tree._

 _"Why?" The man said with a blank face._

 _On the large tree, little girls with age no more than twelve were hung there. The girls have lifeless eyes and weren't breathing, they were dea-_

 _"Why?! What did they ever do to you?!" The man screamed, tears streaming down his face and u_ _nequaled sadness in his eyes. "They were born as human just like you! They never bothered you and lived peacefully! How can you do this just for a false belief, made up by some lunatic!"_

* * *

 **Inside a luxurious bedroom within the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Day 2**

"Haa haa..." Tamamo woked up while breathing heavily. _'What was that? that dream?'_

 _Knock knock_

"Caster, are you up?" The voice of Nobunaga could be heard from behind the door.

"I-I am. What do you need, Archer?"

"Master asked for you, hurry up and come to the throne room! Everyone else is already there."

"I'll be there in a few minutes!" Caster got up. _'Why was Master in my dream? And that dream... huh?'_

She felt wetness upon touching her cheeks. _'Are these tears?'_

...

Tamamo walked through a corridor and reached the throne room. Opening the door, she can see Semiramis sitting high up on the throne in a conversation with Scáthach. Other Servants were either standing or sitting in various places. Nobunaga was chatting with Nero and Medb, and Titus was talking to Kiyohime... wait what? ' _That whore!'_

"Ah Caster, you're finally here." Titus turned around and walked toward her, Kiyohime followed behind him. "I called everyone here to introduce two additional allies."

The other Servants quieten downed and looked at Titus with curious faces.

"Allies? What do you mean by that, Praetor?" Nero asked, getting more curious by the second.

"Let me explain." Titus pulled up the sleeve of his right arm further than he has shown to the Servants.

"?!" The Servants were shocked. Afterall, instead of seven set of Command Seals, there are now nine sets present on his right arm.

"...are those?" Semiramis asked.

"Yes, I apologize for not showing you yesterday. Our Faction has nine Servants while the Blue Faction possesses six in this war, so let me introdu-"

"As expected of darling!" Kiyohime chimed in, face showing unequalled obsession.

' _This wench!'_ Tamamo thought once again.

"Ahem. Thank you, Berserker." Titus smiled wryly. "So let me introduce once again, Ruler and Caster of B-"

With a flash of light, two young girls teleported into the room. The first is wore provocative priestly clothing and the second wore white Greek clothing.

"I am Caster of Blue! It's nice to meet you." Caster of Blue is a ethereal young girl with long pink hair and elven ears dressed in Greek clothing. She also possesses a pair of wings.

"I am the Ruler-class Servant of this Holy Grail War, pleased to meet you." Ruler was a beautiful woman white long purple-black hair and blue eyes. Despite having the appearance of a perfect holy woman, her clothing is unusually seductive.

 _Cough cough_ "It would be nice of you if you don't interrupt me when I'm talking" Titus said dryly. "So as I was saying, this is Caster of Blue. The last Master of Blue Faction was a serial killer and I ended him before he can summon a Servant, taking his Command Seals in the process. She has been tracking the other Servants of Blue and building a base at the Ryuudou Temple to monitor the Greater Grail."

"That's right, that thing sure is disgusting. It needs to be cleansed or destroyed as soon as possible!" Caster confirmed.

"I concur. I can feel the evilness from it the moment I was summoned, we'll have to purify it at haste. I am glad that someone like Titus was chosen as a Master." Ruler agreed, showing a determined face.

"Master, I've always meant to ask this but never got a chance." Scáthach suddenly speaks up.

"Yes? I'll answer any of your questions so please go ahead."

"You seemed to know a bit too much of this war? With Ruler on our side, it can be explain by how you know the Blue Faction Servants' true identities. But how did you receive seven sets of Command Seals in the first place? There is also the fact that Ruler is your Servant too." Scáthach asked while the other Servants of White looked at Titus questioningly.

"I am also curious, Titus. I know you are a insightful and calculating man, but you seemed to possess a great deal of information. Information that are supposed to be very secretive and personal." Semiramis interjected.

"It can't be helped." Titus sighed, surrendering. "I was hoping to tell you after the Holy Grail War has ended. You see, I am actually something like a Servant."

"Something like a Servant?" Medb asked.

"Yes. To be more exact, I am like a mix of a Heroic Spirit and a Counter Guardian. Manifested into a Servant Container just like all of you, with a goal for this war. Which is, to purify the Greater Grail of Angra Mainyu." Titus continued, summoning a sabre into his hand. "As a being similar to both a Heroic Spirit and Counter Guardian, I possess both a spiritual and material body. I also have Skills and Noble Phantasms just like all other Servants. But unlike normal Servants who are summoned into a class container, I am manifested into this world so I do not require any prana supply to exist." Titus finished, dispelling the sabre.

"I do not understand, Master. If you're not a Heroic Spirit or a Counter Guardian, what are you then? A Divine Spirit?" Tamamo questioned.

"I am not a Divine Spirit either. I am... special, an existence that didn't qualified as a Heroic Spirit nor did I sign a contract with Alaya to become a Counter Guardian. However, I did sign another type a contract. One where I am to protect this world from harm, while retaining the freedom of thoughts and actions. I desire to protect both humanity and this world of ours." Titus said with resolution in his eyes.

"Titus... isn't your true name, is it? I thought that you were a fellow Roman Emperor." Nero said, realizing the truth.

"Yes, it is a fake name. I have long lost my name already." Titus answered with tiny hints of sadness in his eyes that soon disappear. "With the influence of the counter force, This Holy Grail War turned into a battle between two factions rather than the standard process of which seven servants duke it out. The summoning ritual of Ruler was also altered, making her join us in this important mission."

"That is true. I answered the summoned on my own will to assist Titus in cleansing Angra Mainyu from the Greater Grail." Ruler affirmed with a saintly smile, turning around to face the other eight. "My fellow Heroic Spirits, I implore you to aid in this task of defeating All the World's Evils. Will you help me?" She requested sincerely.

"You do not have to worry, we all agreed to help Master in purging that fake god yesterday! Right, everyone?" Tamamo said and turned around looking at the other Servants.

"Right." "I won't let that false deity do any wrong." "Uh huh!" "Anything darling says!" "Yup!" "Of course!" Other Servants reaffirmed their promise one after another.

"Thank you everyone, I really do appreciate it." Titus said with a genuine smile. "I'll finish the introduction of our new allies and we can start planning for tonight's actions. This is Circe, daughter of the Sun God Helios, summoned as the Caster of Blue. And this is Saint Martha, the Dragon Riding Saint, summoned as the Ruler of this Holy Grail War. With the strength of nine Servants while the enemy only have four, this war is as good as secured." Titus continued with confidence. "I will impersonate as Ruler of this war and meet up with the Masters of Blue today. Circe and Saint Martha will return to Ryuudou Temple and continue the monitoring of the Greater Grail. Tonight, we will secure the Lesser Grail from the Einzbern homunculus. We'll discuss the details later. For now, why don't you familiarize with each other? I will head to the Fuyuki Church and request the Masters of Blue for a meeting, I doubt they will decline a meeting with the Servant that is supposed to supervise the war."

The Nine Servants gave their approvals and Titus left the throne room.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry for the slow release, I was busy with exams and lost motivation to write.**

 **I've been trying to work on this Alternate Universe and I'm pretty close to finishing the outline of it.**

 **Here's the timeline I came up with: Mahoutsukai no Yoru 1989,** **Fate/Zero 1994, Kara no Kyoukai 1995~1999, Tsukihime 1999, Fate/stay night 2004.**

 **I'll be using japanese suffixes and words in some situation, they just feel more right to me.**

* * *

 **Class: Ruler**

 **True Name: Saint Martha**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title: Dragon Rider**

 **Height/Weight: 161cm 49kg**

 **Alignment: Lawful Good**

 **Strength: C**

 **Endurance: B**

 **Agility: A**

 **Mana: A**

 **Luck: A+**

 **Noble Phantasm: A+**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Riding A++  
**

 **Magic Resistance A**

 **Divinity C**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Protection of the Faith A**

 **Miracle D+**

 **Saint of the Waterside C**

 **Vow of the Saintess C**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Tarasque - O' Tragic Drake Who Knew Naught of Love: Anti-Army A+**

 **Tarasque - The Dragon Shield that a Blade Shall Not Pass: Anti-Unit C**

* * *

 **Class: Caster**

 **True Name: Circe**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title: -**

 **Height/Weight:** **147cm 39kg**

 **Alignment: Chaotic Neutral**

 **Strength: D**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: C**

 **Mana: A+**

 **Luck: A**

 **Noble Phantasm: C**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Territory Creation B**

 **Item Construction A**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **High-Speed Divine Words B**

 **Poisoned Meal A**

 **Advice for Sailing A**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Metabo Piglets - Forbidden Revelry: Anti-Unit C**


	5. The Second Day (Part 2)

**Fuyuki Church, Day 2**

 _Knock knock_

Kotomine Risei opened the doors of the Fuyuki Church after hearing the sounds of knocking. In front of him was a young man with white hair and eyes as black as the abyss. He was in gold and silver heavy armor, with a crusader sword sheathed in its scabbard at his left and a metal kite shield on his back. In his right hand was a metal halberd as tall as the wielder himself.

"You are...?" Risei asked in his best neutral tone, but a hint of unease still showed in his voice.

"You do not have to be anxious. I am Servant Ruler, brought forth for the purpose of presiding over the Holy Grail War." Titus gave him a kind smile.

"The Ruler-class Servant? We have been waiting for you. Please enter." Risei replied after examining Titus, sounding relieved.

Titus, who is pretending as Ruler walked into the Church. He can sense Assassin, or in this case, Assassins of Blue guarding both the interior and exterior of the church. 8 of the 79 remaining bodies of the Hundred-Faced Hassan are spread out across the area surrounding the church while only 2 are inside. Kotomine Kirei, the Master of Assassin was sitting on one of the many benches. He stood up upon seeing Titus and Risei.

"Who is this, father?" Kirei asked with a tired voice.

"I am Ruler. Summoned as the impartial judge of this war." Titus smiled kindly.

"Do you have any proof, Ruler?" Kirei tensed, preparing his Black Keys for an imminent fight.

"Hold it Kirei!" Risei rebuked. "I can confirm that he is the Servant Ruler of this Holy Grail War." Risei turned to Ruler and continued. "I apologize for the actions of my son, Ruler. Given the... unusual circumstances of this war, my son has been on edge the entire night."

"All is well, Father Kotomine. You can inspect my parameters for verification, everything except my True Name, Skills and Noble Phantasms are for all to see." Titus replied, his gentle smile never dropping even once."

 **Class: Ruler**

 **True Name: ?**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Title: ?**

 **Height/Weight:** **185cm 77kg**

 **Alignment: True Neutral**

 **Strength: A**

 **Endurance: A**

 **Agility: A+**

 **Mana: A+**

 **Luck: A+**

 **Noble Phantasm: A++**

 **Class Skills: ?**

 **Personal Skills: ?**

 **Noble Phantasm: ?**

Kirei did just as Titus said and he was both nervous as well as relieved after seeing the parameters of the fake Ruler. _'This is the attribute of a Ruler-class Servant. As expected of one who was summoned to supervise a war between legends.'_

"Looks like Kirei has been assured. May I know what do you seek by coming to the Fuyuki Church?"

"I would like to ask for a meeting with the Masters of the Blue Faction regarding the situation of the White Faction."

"So there really is something going on with the White Faction." Risei said, trying to get information out of Titus.

"I will not confirm nor deny it. For the time being, please gather the Masters of the Blue Faction."

"I will message the Masters of the Blue Faction right away." _'I'll have to contact Tokiomi too.'_

* * *

"Caster, you look troubled. Would you like to share it?" Nobunaga asked, coming from behind Tamamo while gaining the attention of the other Heroic Spirits in the throne room.

Tamamo turned around and replied, feeling unsettling remembering the dream. "I... I dreamed about Master last night. It was a really unpleasant dream."

"The Dream Cycle? So you've seen it too." Semiramis said with a bothered face as well. _'He didn't seem like a person who would perform such heinous acts.'_

"I have seen it too. In my dream, Titus witnessed the death of countless lives. There was this one blonde girl who was burned on a stake by priests, and another time where Master was crying over the death of an entire village." Medb had the same expression as the other two.

"It was horrible. The praetor in my dream massacred an entire city, killing even women and children. The worse part of it was that he had a calm and cold expression on his face the entire time." Nero said downcast, holding her shoulder and trembling a little.

"The one I saw was as disturbing as yours. Though I only knew it was Master near the end of the dream, from the reflection of his own blade. But he was crying, unlike the dream you've seen, Saber." Scáthach voiced.

"It is rather... concerning. The dream I saw was where he assassinated a king which sparked a war that ended in countless deaths. But because of that war, many more lives were saved." Martha said with a worried face. _'But was that really worth it?'_

"I saw tragedies in mine. Many tragedies..." Circe uttered.

"I-It doesn't matter! I b-believe darling did the right thing! He did the right thing...!" Kiyohime interjected, not blinded by love this time.

"L-Let's drop this topic for now, we can always ask Master after the war ended." Nobunaga shouted, trying to calm others down and not remember the things she saw at the same time. _'The deeds he's done is so vile that It makes me look like an innocent princess.'_

"Indeed. We'll question him when this war ends. Let's focus on the task at hand for now." Semiramis announced. _'Titus, who are you really?'_

* * *

"Rider! There are news from the Church, Ruler wants to meet up with the Masters of Blue. Are we going?" Waver rushed into a room. Rider was lying on the floor, watching a television show. "What are you doing?!"

"Can't you see I'm resting? That little girl hit me pretty hard last night, now I won't be able to summon Gordius Wheel for a few days!" Iskandar said laughing.

"Why are you laughing?! Isn't this a big problem?!" Waver complaint.

"Hahaha! And when I thought my entrance was grand, I was completely outdone by that little girl! And that goldy got totally decimated!" Iskandar stood up and hit Waver's back.

 _Cough cough_ "That's it?!"

"Anyway Master, don't you think that something's wrong last night?" Iskandar became serious.

"Something's wrong? Weren't we just ambushed and lost?" Waver asked quizzically.

"That is true. But the thing that has been bugging me was how perfect that ambush happened."

"Now that you say it..." Waver rubbed his chin, contemplating about last night's event. After a moment, his eyes widened. "They knew-"

"That's right, boy!" Iskandar said grimly. "They knew the true names of every Servants of our faction. I did announce my name, but none of the other Servants did. Looks like we'll have to meet with Ruler, if he knows just what is happening with the White Facton."

Waver nodded.

* * *

"Saber, are you alright?" Irisviel said to Artoria, who is standing on the top of the Einzbern Castle, overlooking the forest.

"I am sorry for worrying you, Irisviel. It's just the attack by the White Faction last night was...-" Saber said with a contemplating face.

"Too precise?" The voice of Kiritsugu came from the entrance to the roof, his form could be seen soon after.

"Kiritsugu..." Irisviel said with a nervous face.

"There are news from the Church, Ruler wants to meet with all the Masters of Blue. I'd usually just send a familiar over, but it's better if we are able to contact with Ruler ourselves this time." Kiritsugu said with a blank face, though hints of worry can be seen in his eyes. "The White Faction is too suspicious, it's like they knew everything about us from the start."

"I concur, the White Faction has been questionable from the start. They didn't report to the Church nor do we know the identity of even a single Master from their faction." Saber said, but was ignored by Kiritsugu.

"Maiya has already went ahead to recon. Iri, go to the Church with Saber." Kiritsugu said not caring about Saber.

"What about you, Master?" Saber said, displeased for being ignored.

"You're not coming, Kiritsugu?" Irisviel said instead of Saber.

"I'm going to increase surveillance across the city. Iri, please be careful and try to get as much information as you can from Ruler." Kiritsugu continued, ignoring Saber. "I'll be watching through the eyes of Saber. Take this." He left the roof as soon as he gave a pendant to Irisviel.

"He didn't mean it, Saber. He is just stressed from the events last night." Irisviel quickly consoled Saber after Kiritsugu left.

"Fair enough." Replied Saber, who is still frowning.

* * *

A white-haired man in blue hoodie sat in the sewers.

"An invitation from Ruler? Meeting at the Fuyuki Church?"

 _Cough cough_

Kariya looked at a piece of paper in his hand, given by one of the familiars belonged to the Church.

"I do not care, I will win this Holy Grail War alone!" He tored the paper apart, blood started leaking from his face. "I have to kill everyone in the end, so why should I team up with them? Berserker is enough to deal with all of them!"

 _Cough cough_

"Haa haa. Wait for me, Sakura!"

* * *

"Hey, Saber!" Rider and Waver met up with Saber and Irisviel at the Fuyuki Church entrance.

"Rider." Saber turned to her left, where Rider and Waver were walking toward them. "How's your injury? I saw you being hurt by the fire badly last night."

"I am fine, Saber. Let's proceed to the Church. I'm itching to learn of what exactly is going on with the White Faction." Rider has a stern face on.

They went into the Fuyuki Church, where four men were waiting for them. The two men standing on the left back side were in priest garb, obviously the Kotomine father and son pair. Another man was sitting on the front right bench, dressed in a red suit, he is Tohsaka Tokiomi. And lastly, a white-haired man donning heavy armor stood in the middle of the Church.

"Welcome, Masters and Servants of the Blue Faction. I am Servant Ruler, summoned to act as the overseer of The Fourth Holy Grail War." Titus said with a smile, but soon frowned a little. "Unfortunately, Matou Kariya and the Servant Berserker refrained from joining us. Making only three-fourths of the Blue Faction being present today." Titus shaked his head and continued. "Then, please relax and take a seat."

The two pair of Masters and Servants went ahead and did just that. Saber and Irisviel sat in the middle of the left side while Rider and Waver sat the back right side. The first one to speak up was Rider, who immediately questioned the purpose of this gathering.

"So, Ruler. Will you tell us about the White Faction now? I do believe something fishy is going on with them."

"That's right, Ruler. I find them suspicious as well. Please tell us what is going on." Saber looked at Titus with a stern gaze, attempting to see through any lies.

"Of course they are! They took down Gilgamesh effortlessly, that's not something you can do even if you were well prepared!" Tokiomi interjected, he had dark circles under his eyes and his hair was messy.

"Whay is Tohsaka Tokiomi doing here anyway? Shouldn't he be out of this war already?" Waver asked.

"Tokiomi has seeked asylum with the Church last night. And as a possible Master candidate, we would like for him to join this discussion." Risei answered Waver with a neutral expression.

Meanwhile, Irisviel was talking to Kiritsugu through a Mystic Code. It was a one-time use Mystic Code in the shape of a pendant and has an effect that grants temporary telepathy between two people for a day. Just one of the many given by the Einzbern family, as tools to win the Holy Grail War.

 _'Kiritsugu, do you see Ruler's parameters?'_

 _'As expected of Ruler. With these attributes, no Servants in this war would be able to defeat him. One on one, that is.'_

 _'Are you planning to attack Ruler? That's too dangerous!'_

 _'I'm not, Iri. But if we can rope in Ruler to fight for our faction, our chances at victory would increase greatly.'_

 _'I don't think the Servant that's meant to be an impartial judge will help any faction-'_

Their conversation was cut short when Titus speak up.

"I called you today to inform you of the happenings in this war, mostly of the White Faction." Ruler said with a serious face. "First of all, the impressions you have of the White Faction possessing in-depth information of you, is, right."

At this revelation, there was an uproar in the Church.

"I expected this but to honestly hear it from you..." Rider said rubbing his chin, thinking about something.

"How?! Ruler! How does the White Faction know this much about us?!" Tokiomi finally lost it. He spent his entire life preparing for this war and lost his Servant on the first night. Said Servant being the King of Heroes doesn't help much either.

"Please calm down, former Master of Archer. It's actually really simple if you ponder about it." Titus said with a neutral face.

"Simple?" Irisviel uttered.

"Yes, think about it. Shouldn't there be something important missing in the Blue Faction? Something in plain sight but no one has even bothered considering the possibility of it?"

"So that's how it is!" Rider suddenly exclaimed, jolting Waver up who is sitting right next to time.

"What's wrong with you, Rider?!" Waver shouted, his heart beating non-stop. "Can you not scare me everytime?!"

"So you have realized it." Titus said with a smile.

"What is it, Rider? Tell us!" Waver frowned and sat back down, looking at Rider.

"I can't believe we all missed such an obvious thing." Rider announces his discovery with everyone paying full attention to him. "We're missing a Servant! And that's Ca-"

"Caster!" Waver, Tokiomi, Risei, Irisviel and Saber cried out. Not daring to believe how none of them notice a missing Servant from their faction this whole time.

"It can't be helped. Everyone was paying attention to the White Faction and Caster of Blue just went out of our thoughts." Risei said with a grim expression.

"That is right." Titus spoke up, gaining the attention of others. "Caster of Blue has betrayed the Blue Faction, she has been monitoring you the entire time."

"She? So you have met Caster of Blue?" Kirei interjected, the remaining occupants of the Church looked at Titus.

"Yes, I did." Titus said blandly. "That is why I know that she has joined the White Faction. Unfortunately, you will have to fight this war four against eight. And it seemed that the Master of Berserker isn't willing to help."

"Ruler, shouldn't you assist us in this war then? The White Faction is clearly breaking the rules." Irisviel asked hopefully, but she was quickly disappointed.

"Regrettably, I won't be able to lend a helping hand to you. I am summoned to be a supervisor of this war, not to fight in it. It might seem unfair to you, but to me, betrayal is an extremely common thing in war. You will have to surmount this difficult task yourself, that is it for today. I wish you good luck in this Holy Grail War."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Spent my weekend on Double Chapter release, hope you enjoy!**

 **We'll be seeing some actions the next chapter!**


	6. The Second Day (Part 3)

**Einzbern Castle, Night 2**

Inside a luxuriously decorated room are Irisviel and Saber, both returned from Fuyuki Church a few hours ago. Irisviel sat near the window, overlooking the forest that surround the Einzbern Castle while Saber stood closely behind.

 _Sigh_ Irisviel sighed for the fifth time. "At this rate, not to mention winning, we won't even survive this war."

"Cheer up, Irisviel." Saber put her right hand on Irisviel's shoulder and gave her a smile. "I have fought against greater odds and came out victorious."

"But they have twice the amount of-" Irisviel suddenly fell sidewards, surprising Saber.

"Irisviel!" Saber quickly held Irisviel. "Are you alright?!"

"I-I'm fine, Saber. You can let go now." Irisviel said weakly in Saber's bosom.

"But Irisviel, you-"

"Saber, can I try something?" Irisviel slowly held Saber's hand, she seemed to be squeezing as hard as she can.

"W-What are you doing, Irisviel?" Saber asked with a concerned face.

"Will you believe that I am squeezing your hand as hard as I can?" She smiled weakly.

"What on earth is going on? Are you hurt anywhere?" Saber supported Irisviel back to her seat.

"You see, I am actually not a human." She continued as she sat down. "To be more exact, I am a homunculus. A homunculus that contains the Lesser Grail." She looked out the window with a sad smile. "As the vessel of the Holy Grail, I grow increasingly weaker as the Servants are defeated. I am still fine right now, but I won't be able to muster enough force to hold or grab anything as the Heaven's Feel progress further."

"Doesn't that mean you won't survive the war?"

"Saber, will you promise me not to tell Kiritsugu? He is stressed enough with the war, I don't want him to worry about me." She turned to Saber. "Plus, it would be too painful when we are going to separate." She said holding both of Saber's hands with her own.

"I promise, Irisviel." Saber answered with a serious face. "But please don't push yourself too much, I'll protect you with my all to the last breath."

"Thank you, Artoria." Irisviel smiled. "I-"

 _BOOOOM!_

* * *

 _A few minutes ago._

"I'm sorry for calling you a traitor, Caster." Titus apologizes to Circe, who is in a bad mood.

"That was mean, Master! Calling me a backstabber like that." Circe pouted, turning her back to Titus. "You should at least tell me if you were going to say that." She muttered.

"That is enough, Caster. You know Master didn't mean it." Semiramis said from the throne. "We're about to attack the Castle, you can complain to Master when we're done."

"It's kind of annoying calling her Caster, you know." Nobunaga interjected. "There are two Casters here, we can't keep calling them their Class name. But we shouldn't use their true names either, in case we slip it off around the Blue Faction."

"Then you can call me Cas-ko!" Tamamo said. "Of course you can also call me Wifey, Master." She closed in and hugged Titus' left arm, pushing her breast against it.

"Get away from darling, you wench!" Kiyohime yelled, trying to pull Tamamo off.

"No no no, get off me you whore!" Tamamo tries to push Kiyohime away. "Get off me!"

"These fellows..." Scáthach sighed.

"Hmm... is it me or does Berserker seem more, you know, sane?" Medb said.

"Umu. Now that you said it, she does seem more 'normal' to me." Nero chimed in. "Did praetor do something with her- Don't tell me!"

"Don't get any strange idea, Saber! Master used a Command Seal on Berserker to remove the effects of her Mad Enhancement." Semiramis, the Wise Queen of Assyria was the one to solve the 'big' mystery.

"Can you even do that? I didn't know you can remove her madness with a Command Seal." Medb asked, tilting her head and her index finger on her chin.

"You can. It's just that no Master has ever used a Command Seal to do that in the previous wars. To a normal Master, using a Command Seal to remove the effect of a Skill is too wasteful. Looks like Kiyohime no longer see Master as the same man she once loved, although something else seemed to have developed." The Magus from the Age of Gods answered.

"Still a yandere, huh." Nobunaga had a blank face on.

"It's time!" Titus declared, coming from the side. Tamamo and Kiyohime were still having a catfight a few meters away, it doesn't look like it will end soon.

"Ruler isn't joining us?" Scáthach asked.

"Ruler won't be joining us tonight. She is watching the Greater Grail, we can't just leave it defenseless." Titus answered. "All right, everyone!" He announced with a smile, gaining the attention of everyone. "We are going to attack the Einzbern Castle. The objective is the capture of Irisviel von Einzbern, vessel of the Lesser Grail. Proceed as what we have discussed earlier!"

The Servants moved.

* * *

A massive explosion went off at the Einzbern Castle, destroying one-third of the building. Smokes filled the sky and can be clearly seen even from the City. The other participants of the war were alarmed, one such participant is a young Magus from the Clock Tower, Waver Velvet. He dropped the book 'Legend of Alexander the Great' and ran towards the second floor.

"Rider! Someone blew up the Einzbern Castle!" He entered the room which he shared with Rider and saw the giant of a man was already in his armor. "It must be the White Faction!"

"I know I know. I am not deaf, you know." Rider had a thoughtful expression on. He rubbed his chin and grabbed Waver. "Come, boy. We need to go help out Saber and her Master." They went to the backyard while Waver tried to release himself. Iskandar looked at his gladius and sighed. "I can't summon the Gordius Wheel because of what happened last night, looks like we'll have to run there." He picked up the younger man and ran towards the direction of the Einzbern Castle.

"Put me down!"

* * *

 _A few minutes ago._

The Servants of White arrived at the edge of the forest. They proceeded to separate, leaving Titus and Circe alone. She closed her eyes and started chanting an incantation, causing prana to gather around her.

 _"Ready ladies?"_ Titus said through the mental link after a moment. The link was established by Semiramis so that all the Servants can communicate with each other during the mission. The Heroic Spirits gave their affirmation and Titus nodded at Circe. "On you mark, Caster."

A magic circle appears beneath her and multiple beams of light shot towards the Einzbern Castle, causing massive damage to it. The rain of light didn't stop until one-third of the Castle was totally gone. Circe then summoned an army of skeletons and ordered them to attack the Einzbern Stronghold. The skeletons are Dragon Tooth Warriors, familiars manufactured and bound by dragons' fangs, created through her Item Construction skill. Dragon Tooth Warriors are inexpensive, allowing for a near-limitless amount to be created. They aren't too effective against Servants but they can be quite difficult for Magi to handle, the aim this time is quantity rather than quality.

 _"Now we wait."_ Semiramis smiled, observing the situation from her Hanging Gardens.

* * *

"Irisviel, hold onto my hand!" Saber led Irisviel through the castle's corridor, fighting off hordes of Dragon Tooth Warriors. Every swing of her sword destroys multiple of the assailants, but they always target the silver-haired homunculus rather than her, slowing them down considerably. "These weak skeletons!" She slashed the ones at her front and the impact from her swing alone demolishes several of the attackers, but they were quickly replaced by even more of them. "We will be surrounded at this rate..." The blonde knight looks around and spotted a window, she pulled Irisviel into a hug with her left hand while fighting off the skeletons with the sword on her right. She moved to the window and jumped through it.

"Kyaah!" Irisviel screamed at the sudden lost of footing and widened her eyes at the amount of skeletons outside the castle, she then turned to Saber with a worried face. "What do we do, Saber? There are at least a few thousands of them and we are surrounded."

Artoria had a grim face on and prepared herself for the inevitable fight, but then a voice sounded out in her mind.

 _"Saber."_ It was the voice of her Master, Emiya Kiritsugu.

 _"Kiritsugu!"_

 _"I can see the situation through our Master-Servant link."_ The man said with the most serious voice she ever heard. " _Listen, I want you to use your minor Noble Phantasm and move to the location of the flare I am about the fire. Maiya will be waiting for you with a car, understood?"_

Saber tensed and started releasing the seal on her sword. _"Understood!"_

 _"Then use your Noble Phantasm on the count of three."_

She gets into a stance and held her concealed blade horizontally with both of her hands, aiming at a particularly large crowd of skeletons blocking the entrance to the forest.

 _"_ _One._ _"_

The sheath of wind that covers the sword releases itself, revealing a brilliant golden sword. It is Excalibur, the strongest holy sword ever existed. Reaching the pinnacle of holy swords and being a divine construct. One of the ultimate god-forged weapons, a Last Phantasm, forged by the planet as the crystallization of the wishes of mankind stored and tempered within the planet.

 _"Two."_

"STRIKE-" Wind surges around her chaotically, she advances a single step forward and thrust her holy sword.

 _"Three!"_

"AIR!" Like a hammer made out of wind, gale made out of super high pressure condensed air that is powerful enough to easily crush and blow away armies and fling a stone slab weighing several tons into the air shot at the skeletons, annihilating everything in the way. "Quick! Irisviel, follow me!" She pulled an awestruck Irisviel and ran through the forest, a swarm of Dragon Tooth Warriors behind them.

 _Phtfffff_

A red flare shot upwards the sky, lighting up the forest. She embraces the woman and sprint at the direction of the flare with fifty times the speed of an average human, leaving the chasing skeletons behind. After less than a minute of running, she was able to see the road and a black car with its engine still running waiting for her. Hisau Maiya was in the driver's seat, but Kiritsugu was nowhere to be found.

"Maiya-san!" Irisviel said with a smile, delighted at their escape from the Einzbern Castle. She would have been killed tens of times at her weakened state if not for Saber constantly protecting her.

"Madam, please get in the car. Kiritsugu has prepared a new base and-"

Unfortunately, they walked straight into a trap. A trap that was set up just for them.

 _Swoosh!_

Suddenly, Saber's A-Ranked Instinct kicked in and she dodged to the side, narrowly escaping death from balls of lead, a whip slash, a spear thrust, a sword slash and a burst of flame. Despite the lethal attacks, they felt more of a probe from her attackers. Looking around, she found that they were surrounded by five females. She recognized three of them from last night. Saber of White which she fought against, Lancer of White who killed Diarmuid, and lastly, the young girl in military uniform who killed Gilgamesh. The other two were a young girl in white clothing and a fox woman dressed in revealing blue kimono, both of them possessing pink hair.

 _'This is bad.'_ She eyed the Servants of White and moved closer to shield Irisviel and Maiya from them, their pickup was blown up by a fireball from the fox woman during the ambush. _'I have to find a way out or Kiritsugu will have to use a Command Seal.'_ The Lancer of White suddenly lunge at her with her spear, taking this as a sign, the other Heroic Spirit charged at her as well. _'Fast! All of them have A-Rank Agility at the very least!'_ Knowing that she can't evade all their attacks, she changed to a defensive stance and deflected Lancer's strike and the red Saber's slash. She quickly jumped to the side, lightning bolts and ice spears landed at the exact spot she was standing a moment ago. She raises her sword at the incoming whip but ended up having her blade tangled by it, a volley of bullets fired at her back and will soon hit her.

"INVISIBLE AIR!" She activated her Noble Phantasm once again, untangling the whip and rolling to the side. She looked up and quickly leaped backwards from a group of flame foxes, though she wasn't able to evade their flame breath that came afterwards. Luckily, she had A-Rank Magic Resistance, making the damage she has taken minimal. Musket barrages and different types of offensive magic were sent her way soon after, causing her to fall back. Explosions went off and by the time the smoke disappear, the Servants of White have disappeared alongside with Irisviel and Maiya.

"No! Irisviel! Maiya!" Artoria looked around frantically, but the person she was supposed to protect has long since disappeared.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **And the second day of the Fourth Holy Grail War is over!**

 **I'm getting the hang of writing a battle scene, hopefully future arcs will be better as I continue writing this fanfic.**


	7. Savior (Part 1)

**At the backyard of** **a Japanese-style building** **, Day 3**

"I am sorry." Artoria Pendragon, Saber of the Blue Faction stood in front of her Master with a lowered head. She clenched her fists so hard that Kiritsugu can hear it from where he sat. She has failed to protect Irisviel the same night she gave the woman her promise, now the White Faction has both her Master's wife and partner as hostages. Her defeat last night reminded her of how she failed her subjects during her reign as the King of Britain, causing her face to turn even more gloomy.

Kiritsugu put out his ciggarette and stared at Saber for a few seconds. "The White Faction now has the Lesser Grail, we need to get it back." He had an emotionless face on.

Saber stared at Kiritsugu incredulously. "Is-Is this the reaction you are supposed to have when your wife and partner gets taken by others?!" She was furious at how uncaring the Japanese man talked about Irisviel and Maiya.

"Now now, Saber. This is not the time to be angry at your Master." Rider and Waver were also present, they have met up with Saber after the kidnapping last night. The muscular man smiled awkwardly and whispered to the boy standing beside him. "Boy, say something. Something that will cheer Saber up."

Waver looked at Iskandar, he had an 'are you serious?' expression on his face and whispered back. "Why do I have to? Aren't we here for the information on those Servants Saber encountered last night?"

"This is the time for you to shine, boy. You can make a good impression on Saber and her Master." Rider nudged Waver.

"Alright, alright...!" Waver step forth, gaining the two's attention. "Saber and her Master, I know you're troubled about what happpened last night. I'd like to offer my assistance in the search and rescue of your companions." The third generation Magus said and Rider facepalmed. _'You are supposed to cheer her up, not hit her when she is down!'_

Artoria turned to Waver. "Thank you, Master of Rider. But I believe that I can find them on my own, I do not need your help." She couldn't accept Waver's offer out of shame, both as a knight and a king. She wishes to resolve this alone and prove herself to Kiritsugu that she is capable, they have been on the losing end since the start of the war. However, Kiritsugu quickly interjected before Waver can reply.

"Waver Velvet, we will gladly accept your aid." Kiritsugu stood up from the wooden floored passage he sat. "I will let you know what happened last night, but it is better if we share it with the other Masters as well. Let's have the talk at the Fuyuki Church, Kotomine Kirei and Tohsaka Tokiomi are both there too." He said while summoning his bat familiar, though he cringed a little when he mentioned the Executor. "I'll inform the Church of our visit, can you try messaging Matou Kariya? Even if it's not likely for him to join us, it's still better to try than not at all. Let your familiar search the sewers and alleys, he's usually around there."

Waver nodded and called his rat familiar, he gave it a piece of paper which it bit and then ran away. "I do hope he replies."

* * *

Inside a western study room sat three men. Risei sat alone on the couch in the middle while Kirei and Tokiomi sat on single seater sofas across each other with a tea table between them.

"I apologize for my outburst yesterday." Tokiomi lowered his head slightly, he was able to recover from his unstable mental state after a good night rest. It was extremely embarassing and shameful for a Magus to lose his calm, especially for him who is the fifth generation head of the Tohsaka family. He was in an alliance with the Holy Church due to their long history of friendship. The Tohsakas were once hidden Christians that lived inside the past foreigners-intolerant Japan, and they are one of the Three Founding Families of the Heaven's Feel ritual. He and Kotomine Risei are close acquaintances, and he mentored Risei's son as well. The elderly priest was supposed to be the supervisor of the ritual, but now that the war has evolved into a team battle, Ruler was summoned and replaced his position. _'Everything has been going down hill since the first night, this can't continue any longer. Luckily I still have the status of a Master, if I can contract another Servant. With three Command Seals remaining, I can definitely control them even if it's one of the Three Knight Classes...!'_

"It's all right, Tokiomi-kun. It is understandable considering the unexpected circumstances." Risei refills his and Tokiomi's glass with red wine. He has known Tokiomi since the Third Holy Grail War and wished to help his old friend achieve his dream, which is to reach the Root like all other Magi out there. _'The Akashic Records, also known as Swirl of the Root. T_ _he force that exists at the top of all theories in every dimension, as well as the source of all events and phenomena in the universe._ _'_ Risei mused. As a priest of the Holy Church, he doesn't have the desire to reach the Root. He merely wants to spread the words of God, which is entirely possible to do so by himself. He does not need an omnipotent wish-granting device. _'This Holy Grail is a fake Christian relic, but it is still powerful for an imitation. It cannot fall into the wrong hands, the amount of damage it can cause would be terrifying.'_

Kirei finished his drink and looked at the red tattoo on his hand. "Master. If you wish so, I can give you my contract with Assassin." The Executor believed that it was a mistake that he was chosen as a participant of the Holy Grail War. _'Afterall, I have no wishes.'_ Kotomine Kirei is an empty man, a man who lived a blank life and never found satisfaction in anything he did. Despite his best efforts he could not enjoy what other people found happiness in, and instead found himself drawn to negative emotions like the pain of others. He doesn't understand why he was chosen, since the Greater Grail will only choose someone who has a great desire as a Master.

Tokiomi shook his head after contemplating for a few seconds. "It's fine, Kirei. There are still twelve Servants left, I can contract one of them after killing their Master. It shouldn't be difficult to assassinate a Master with your Servants's Presence Concealment."

It was at that moment that they detected an invasion in the Bounded Field.

"A familiar?" Risei stood up.

* * *

Four figures arrived at the Fuyuki Church. The Master and Servant pairs entered after being greeted by Risei and took seat at the exact spots they chose last time, Kiritsugu was the first to spoke up.

"Is Ruler not joining us?" The Magus Killer stares into the elderly priest's eyes and questioned.

"Ruler went after the White Faction and hasn't returned since last night." Risei's words got the attention of the other occupants of the Church. There is a possibility that Ruler died if he hasn't returned by now.

"And he still hasn't returned?" Rider asked. "Is there a chance that he is in danger?"

"That I do not know." Risei looked troubled. " But I can confirm that he is still alive."

"Let's get to the main topic." Tokiomi interjected. "I believe that you have something to tell us, Master of Saber."

Kiritsugu had an impassive expression and turned to Saber, telling her to recount last night's events. She nodded and proceeded to narrate the entire incident without missing a single detail, she looked very downhearted by the time she finished her story.

"So we lost the Lesser Grail's container and we now know that the majority of the White Faction are cooperating with each other." Tokiomi voiced out. "I propose an alliance. Not the kind that we have got it going, but a firmer one where we share information on everything we know. We will act together instead of moving alone like what we have been doing up until now."

"What can you do when you don't even have a Servant?" Kiritsugu asked.

"I can provide support as the second owner of Fuyuki City. Prana gems, surveillance, connections with the mudane, I have them all readied. All I ask for you is to help me eliminate an enemy Master so that I can contract their Servant, it will be for the good of our alliance, even if it is just a temporary one. My apprentice, the Master of Assassin, has already agreed." By the look of his face, Tokiomi was confident that his request will be accepted.

After a long discussion, Kiritsugu and Waver reluctantly agreed. Although Tokiomi's offer seemed reasonable, but it's not exactly easy to take down an enemy Master when they do not even know their identity. Saber has been silent the whole time while Rider let his Master do the talk, planning to train him into a more respectable man. Kirei stood beside his father like a statue, without the slight intention to join at all. The topic soon went back to the Lesser Grail.

"Even if we lost the Lesser Grail, we can just defend the locations where it will be placed. The evocation site will be in one of the four locations where leylines are linked." Saber's face turned gloomy when Tokiomi's mentioned the Lesser Grail, it infuriates her how Irisviel is being referred to as an item rather than a living being. "The Tohsaka Manor is under my watch, while Kirei and Risei are protecting the Fuyuki Church. So it leaves only two locations, The Fuyuki Civic Center and Ryuudou Temple."

"I have already added additional surveillances at those two places, but I doubt that it matters much right now." Kiritsugu now had everyone's attention. "In reality, only two Servants are dead."

"That is true. For now, we just have to remove more Servants from this war!" Rider grinned and slapped Waver's back. "Right, Master?"

 _Cough cough_ "I told you to stop that...!" The boy muttered.

The Masters soon settled the details of their alliance and shook hands, Risei moved to the pulpit and spoke in a neutral tone. "Then, as the representative of the Church, I announce the forming of an alliance between Tohsaka Tokiomi, Kotomine Kirei, Emiya Kiritsugu and Waver Velvet. May this alliance last till the defeat of the White Faction.

* * *

Titus, dressed in his Ruler outfit was moving through the Fuyuki Sewers. He followed the guide of Semiramis and soon spotted Matou Kariya not far away, the half-dead man was leaning against the wall. Kariya got out of his stupor when he sees Titus and went on guard, Berserker materialized next to him.

Titus moved closer but not within Berserker's attacking range. "Hello, Matou Kariya, Master of Berserker." Titus smiled kindly at Kariya, who seemed uncomfortable at the friendliness.

"You are?" Kariya looked at Titus warily, anyone would be weirded out if a strange man who is likely a Servant appeared out of nowhere and greeted him amiably. He stood up and the mad Servant moved between him and Titus.

"Do not be anxious. I am Servant Ruler, summoned by the Holy Grail to act as the supervisor of this war." Titus wasn't bothered by their action. "I came here with a proposal."

Kariya stared at Titus, seemingly in deep thought. The armored man standing in front of him is a Servant, an enemy who had to be defeated if he wanted to win the Grail War and save Sakura. But the Servant wasn't one of the standard classes which he confirmed by looking at the Servant's parameters, he reckoned that he can listen to this so-called 'proposal'.

"What do you want?" Kariya responded after a few seconds.

"I know that you took part in this Holy Grail War in order to save a young girl." Kariya was shocked, how did Ruler knew about this?

"H-How?"

"It is merely the knowledge the Grail provided me when I was summoned." Titus lied without changing his expression, it was so perfect that Kariya didn't doubt him even a little bit. "So I propose. I will rescue the young girl, Matou Sakura, in exchange of your withdrawal from the Holy Grail War."

"Why would you help me? You gain no benefits even if I were to quit the war."

"Oh Master of Berserker, I do not care about any benefits." Titus' smile got gentler. "You see, I was named a Saint by the people I have saved during my life." The fake Ruler smiled sadly, showing his true emotions for the first time throughout their conversation. "I killed many corrupted men, blood were overflowing my hands by the time I have realized it. But in exchange for the amount of blood I spilled, many more innocent lives were saved. I persevered knowing that countless lives will be fell by my hands if I were to continue following this path, nonetheless, I was able to smile with no regrets during my death." Titus stopped smiling and looked at the white-haired man with a serious expression. "That's why, I am unable to sit still and watch a young girl gets defiled by those disgusting worms."

Kariya looked at the man before him, his hostility gone. _'Can I trust him?'_ In truth, he knew that he doesn't have that great of a chance at winning the war and even less of a chance at rescuing Sakura. He didn't want to admit that he was consumed by jealously looking at the loving relationship between Tokiomi and his wife, Tohsaka Aoi. She was his childhood friend and the love of his life, he was willing to give up on pursuing a romance with Aoi because he genuinely loved her. He would die for her happiness even if he has to suffer a horrible fate, but she chose that bastard Tokiomi in the end. "Can I trust you?" He voiced out with hope in his eyes.

Titus eyes softened. "If I were to save Sakura, you won't have a reason to fight in this bloody war anymore. Do not worry, I will deal with Matou Zouken and erase that old worm off the face of the earth so he won't trouble you nor anyone ever again." He moved closer and held Kariya's hand, ignoring the squirming worms. "You do not have much time left, please spend the rest of your time in peace and leave Sakura to me. I swear, I will rescue her and do my best to prevent more sadness from happening again. Please, trust me."

Kariya stared into the opposite man's sincere eyes and nodded. "I will trust you, Ruler." His voice grew hoarse and he lowered his head. "So please! Save Sakura!"

"I swear on it." Titus nodded back. "And please, call me Titus." _'I got too emotional... is it because that girl Sakura reminds me of them?'_ His eyes lost focus for a second. _'I should be better than this,_ _at least the hypnosis is working.'_ _'_

"Berserker, by the power of this Command Seal, make a contract with Titus!" The Command Seals on Kariya's right hand glowed and one of them disappeared.

"Why?" Titus felt two new Command Seals appear on his arm, he seemed surprised and confused at the same time. The spell he silently casted worked way better than he thought it would have, or perhaps it was just that Matou Kariya's mental defenses were too fragile.

"Because I trust you, and I am a failure of a Magus." Kariya smiled wryly. "I can't support such a prana-intensive Servant like Berserker without risking my life every single time."

"I will definitely rescue Sakura." Titus' hand, which was holding onto Kariya's glowed and the crest worms inside the man's body stopped squirming. "This should stop them for a while. Though even without them eating away your lifeforce, you can live for a week at most."

"Thank you." Kariya had already came to terms with his imminent death, he was satisfied being able to live for a few days longer. He could not wait to see Sakura again.

 _"I will also assist in your quest for redemption, Lancelot"_ Berserker's body trembled.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **2.8k words, wew!**


	8. Savior (Part 2)

_'Huh?'_ Tamamo looked around _'Where am I?'_

She stood inside a room that seemed to be a Magus' workshop, all sorts of apparatus and books laid messily around. A table that was in the center of the room was particularly eye-catching, various unique alchemical tools and rare ingredients were on it.

Tamamo walked to the alchemy table while examining the room. _'An unfinished project? It's almost complete.'_ A flask of black solution caught her eyes, it gave her a terrible feeling.

 _Creaak_

Tamamo flinched at the sound of door opening, a familiar man walked into the room.

"Master!" Titus didn't seem to hear her. ' _Is this a dream?'_

Her Master was in white shirt and black suit vest, it reminded her of when she first met him. He went to the table that she was inspecting and pulled out a test tube filled with violet powder, it gave her the same feeling she felt from the black solution. He picked up the flask and looked at it with hesitation, but soon determination were in his eyes. He added the powder into the solution and it dissolved with quickly, the result was a mixture that was darker than the night and it gave a feeling of wrongness that Tamamo couldn't comprehend.

After a few seconds of silent, Titus looked at the mixture and spoke up. "You will be known as the Black Death." Her eyes widened.

* * *

 **Fuyuki Church, Day 3**

 _Knock knock, Creaak_

Titus entered the Church and Risei smiled upon seeing the one who opened the door was Ruler, he raised his arms wide open to welcome the returning Servant. "Welcome back, Ruler. We were afraid that something has happened to you."

"Ah, I'm sorry for causing you concern. I was quite busy last night chasing after Caster." Titus casually lied.

"Will you share your discoveries?" Any news about the Servant of Magecraft can help them, and Tokiomi could go after her with the other Servants. If they manage to take her down, they would be able to stop the information leakage that has been troubling them for a while.

The fake Ruler shook his head "Unfortunately, I was unable to reach her in time." He sighed. "She teleported away the moment I caught her in my sight, I will try to search for her base this afternoon."

"May God guide you in your pursuit of Caster." Risei gestured with his hand on his chest, where the heart is.

"On the other hand, I wish to speak with your son regarding the ongoings of this war." Titus frowned inside. _'Followers of Gods... they never change. Relying on others' power when what really matters in the end is your own strength.'_

"Fair enough." Risei nodded. "Kirei is in his study room, I'll guide you there."

* * *

"Mizukume." Tamamo turned around and saw Semiramis heading to her, they were in a garden embellished with marble pillars and statues. Water flowed from a waterfall into a pond filled with all types of aquatic plants, the view was breathtaking.

"Assassin." Tamamo pouted. "Didn't we agreed on calling me Cas-ko?" Some of the Servants just won't call her Cas-ko! It is such a cute name though! They even forced her to tell them her childhood name. Well, at least most of them didn't mind it.

Semiramis' lips twitched. "I will not mouth such a mortifying name." She sat down beside Tamamo, who was appreciating the flowers of her great garden. "Tell me, did you dreamed of Master again?" Tamamo jerked a little.

Tamamo put down the flowers in her hands, she didn't wanted to remember it at all. "Yes. Yes, I did." She looked up at the sky. "I saw a horrifying scene." ' _The creation of Black Death... was the Black Plague caused by Titus? Wouldn't that mean that he has killed at least a hundred million innocent people?'_ She sighed, downcasted.

Semiramis put her hand on the fox girl's shoulder and gave her an encouraging look. "I know what you mean, Mizukume. But please believe in our Master, won't you?"

"I-I am afraid. Afraid if I would lose faith in Master." Tamamo held her shoulders and shivered.

"I understand, Mizukume. Trust me, I do." Semiramis pulled Tamamo into a hug. "I dreamed of him once more as well. So did the other Servants." She slowly rubs the Japanese Servant's head and tried her best to comfort her. "I saw him assassinate an archduke which caused a war that affected the entire world, but I believe that our Master did it for a reason. Do you really think Titus is a cold-blooded mass murderer?" She smiled at the trembling fox girl.

Tamamo recalled her interactions with Titus, never once did he lost patience at her provocations and silliness. He accepted everything that she was and always smiled during their time together. _'That's right! How can Master be wicked and cruel individual? Even if we only knew each other for three days, I can tell that he is a kindhearted person. He even showed love to a worthless woman like me.'_

"Y-You're right, Semiramis." Tamamo stopped shivering and suddenly laughed. "Ha, haha. I couldn't believe that I almost lost faith in husband!" She stood up and held both her hands in front of her chest.

"That's right." Semiramis smiled. _'The cheerful fox woman is back.'_

"And I couldn't believe the one who cheered me up would be you, Oh Queen of Assyria." She shot the dark haired woman a teasing look.

"You!" Semiramis shot Tamamo an angry look and smiled after seeing her ran away. "Your legend wasn't a merry one either, right? Tamamo no Mae." She uttered.

* * *

"I'm coming in, Kirei." Risei came into Kirei's study room along with Titus after knocking the door twice.

"Father. Ruler." Kirei greeted his father and nodded at the fake Ruler. "How may I help you?"

"Ruler here would like to discuss with you regarding the current situation of the war."

"Indeed."

"I'll leave the two of you then." Risei nodded at Ruler and moved out of the room.

"Please have a sit." Kirei invited Titus to the sofa and sat down.

"Greetings, Kotomine Kirei." Titus sat facing the Executor and smiled. "I have a proposal for you."

* * *

"Hmm?" An old man dressed in dark kimono perked up, his mansion's alarm went off moments ago. 'S _omeone triggered the Bounded Field?'_

The old man was Makiri Zolgen. He was the patriarch of the Zolgen family, one of the Three Founding Familes of the Heaven's Feel ritual. They were a noble family that originated somewhere around Russia and were driven out of their homeland. The family later became known as Matou when he changed his name to Matou Zouken. He is the father of Matou Kariya and the one who adopted Tohsaka Sakura into his family. The old man was a monster who has been alive for hundred of years, he gave off a mysterious and chilling feeling. He was so withered that his bald head and limbs looked like he was mummified, yet the light deep in his eyes filled his spirit.

He ordered his familiars to track down the intruder and slowly headed toward the impudent thief. Tens of worms crawled out from the shadow and shed their carapaces, transforming into flying insects. The bugs flew to the direction of the invader with many worms following after.

' _Uh?!'_ The familars he sent out were all killed the moment they came into contact with the intruder, surprising him. The bugs might not have been strong, but they were capable of devouring a grown man alive in seconds. _'_ _Interesting...'_

He exited his study room and soon came face to face with the trespasser. It was a heavily armored man, he gave off a repugnance holy aura.

"Matou Zouken, or should I call you Makiri Zolgen?" The white-haired man held a bloodied sabre. Remains of the bugs he sent were everywhere, confirming the man's identity as the intruder.

"Ruler!" Zouken frowned. "Why are you attacking when you know that we are one of the Three Founding Families?" He was the one who allied with the two other founding families and came up with the Command Seals for the Master and Servant in the Holy Grail system. He can tell that the man who stood in front of him is the Ruler-class Servant.

"Matou Zouken, I could not allow a disgusting monster like you to exist." Titus looked at the worm in front of him with a repulsive face. How could he allow such a thing to continue terrorize the inhabitants of Fuyuki? He never lied about helping Kariya, even though he hypnotized the man. "So for the sake of humanity, please die." He pointed his saber at the old man.

"Fool!" Thousands of worms crawled out from the shadows and pounced at the fake Ruler, but they were immediately incinerated to ashes. "You can use Magecraft?!" Zouken leaped away from the flames, his non-existent hair raised at the heat it gave off. He ordered more familiars to attack Titus while making a run for the basement.

 _Tch_ Titus clicked his tongue and went after the withered man, destroying every obstructions in his way. He reached the entrance to the basement and went down the stairway. It was the secret underground facility of Matou Zouken, where his worms are kept and raised. A little girl with violet hair and eyes laid in the swarm of insects. She had lifeless eyes, looking as if she gave up all hope. _'That's Matou Sakura.'_ He frowned at the treatment of the little girl.

"Hahaha." Zouken stood in the middle of the worm pit with a smug face, he raised his arms and gestured. "Welcome, Ruler. To my workshop."

"This is one miserable and depressing workshop you have, oh Matou's patriarch." Titus gave him a despising look.

"Hmph. And I thought you would be able to understand the greatness my craft, considering your mastership in Magecraft." Zouken harrumphed. "Now kindly become my worms' nourishment, you impudent slave!" Countless worms rushed upwards to Titus, who looked at the tide of bugs unimpressed.

"Flare Burst!" Every worms within 25 foot were consumed in flames, yet it was not able to stop the oncoming tide. _'Oh flames, incinerate everything in my path.'_ The worms rushed toward the azure flames, ignoring the painful screams of their comrades. Flames covered the entire underground facility, burning every visible worm to death. The only ones remaining were Zouken and Sakura.

Zouken eyes widened at the effortless display of high level Thaumaturgy, the power Ruler displayed equalled the Magi from the Age of Gods. He can sense the azure flames burning the worms hidden underground, even the ones that hid in the city weren't spared. _'This is a Ruler-class Servant...?'_

"Now it's only you, lowly worm." Titus raised his sabre and bolted at the old man, ready to cut him apart. But he stopped just before his blade could pierce through Zouken's heart, the worm had Sakura as a shield!

"Drop your sword, you familiar!" Zouken held Sakura's throat and started choking her. "Or I will kill her!"

"You..." Titus looked at Zouken and then at Sakura, hesitation visible on his face.

"That's right, drop it!" Zouken yelled, choking the little girl harder.

 _Clang_

Titus threw his sabre and gave the worm a fierce look.

"I knew you were after her." Zouken chuckled. "I sensed the Crest Worms in Kariya stopped this morning, that failure of a son must have died or made a deal with someone." Though the worms were disabled after the transaction, he was still vaguely aware of what happened. He saw Kariya negotiating with someone and handing over Berserker. Really, how could he miss it considering the amount of prana that gave off during the encounter?

"Now leave!" Zouken snarled. "Leave and never come back, then I'll take it as nothing happened!" In a normal situation, he would try to blackmail the Servant. But after seeing Ruler's power and control over Magecraft, he decided that it was better not to deal with the Magus from the Age of Gods. He might just be eaten alive if they decided to come to an agreement, and god knows what his opponent would add in a Self-Geis Scroll.

"...Alright." Titus looked irritated. He sighed and pointed his chin at his sabre.

"Do it slowly!" Zouken interpreted the gesture and slowly backed away from the Servant, reaching the distant wall of the worm pit. Titus picked up the blade unhurriedly and gazed at the old man after he picked it up. "You got your sword, now lea-"

Suddenly, Titus appeared behind Zouken and slashed at the withered man multiple times. This act happened in a mere second, the patriarch of Matou didn't even see it coming. By the time he realized what happened, it was already too late. Zouken turned around and looked at the opposite man's eyes, they were glowing in the dimly lit basement. The pair of eyes were like jewels and shined in colors of the spectrum.

 _'R-Rainbow-class Mystic Eyes?'_ Those were the last thoughts of Matou Zouken before he died.

Titus ran to the little girl and crouched down in front of her. "Hi Sakura, I am Servant Ruler. Uncle Kariya asked me to come and save you." He gave her a gentle smile and little bits of hope appeared in the lifeless girl's eyes.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I'm trying to think of a new title :S**


	9. Banquet of Kings (Part 1)

**Einzbern Castle, Night 3**

Artoria Pendragon stood near a patch of burnt grass, it was the place where she fought against the five Servants yesterday night. Even though it was a brief battle, the area surrounding the clash between the personification of legends and myths were completely destroyed.

Holes littered the ground, trees were toppled, and scorch marks were everywhere. The damages proved how intense the fight was when legendary figures were involved, despite the Servants only possessing a fragment of their main body's true power.

The Servant of the Sword came to the Einzbern Castle with Rider and his Master. Waver Velvet and Iskandar wanted to inspect the aftermath of her fight against the Dragon Tooth Warriors and the Servants of White after listening to her recount of the incident at the Fuyuki Church.

She agreed to their request and brought them here after the holding of their war council. Tohsaka Tokiomi returned to his mansion in order to increase its security and call his contacts, while the priests stayed in the Church.

In spite of her objections, Kiritsugu went off alone. She didn't believe when he said that he was going to one of his weapon cache when he had brought enough ammunition for an army. Her Master treated her as if she was a familiar and he seemed to lost all his trust when Irisviel and Maiya were taken away last night. Normally, she would go with Kiritsugu. But the man definitely needed some alone time right now.

The sound of leaves rustling caught her attention. The floras parted, revealing the towering figure of Rider. Iskandar, or Alexander the Great was massive. She had no idea why he was called a midget, when the man was over two hundred centimeters in height.

Rider wore jeans and a white T-shirt with the words "Admirable Tactics" on it. The T-shirt wasn't big enough and it showed his muscular frame. He seemed to be proud of his current attire, though Saber found it mortifying.

"Rider, what are you doing here?" She had a strange expression on her face due to his choice of clothing. It was said once upon a time, King Alexander took the lead in wearing Asiatic clothing due to his interest in the cultures of his conquered land, and caused his followers to avert him like the plague.

"You can't tell by looks? I'm gonna drink with you- oi, stop standing there like a stick and lead the way. You should know a place fitting for a banquet, right?" Iskandar carried a red wooden wine casket under his arm and grinned at Artoria.

"You..."

"Stop being so stiff, Saber. You and the boy have been restless the whole day." Rider shook his head. "Let's take a break, nothing can be done by being anxious. Take this as an invitation from the King of Conquerors, alright?"

"...Fine." Saber breathed. She have been on edge since the fight last night, a short break should help relax her nerves.

* * *

Waver Velvet was searching for prana signatures in the forest, he suspected that there were two Servants of the Caster-class present during the assault on the Einzbern Castle yesterday.

There are two main points leading to his suspicion of there being two Casters. Firstly, the systems of Magecraft performed were different. The one which was used to attack the castle was of western origins while the Caster who attacked Saber used eastern Magecraft.

According to Saber, she was dressed in a blue kimono and had fox ears, her appearance clearly of eastern descent. If he is not wrong, from the description of her uses of talismans, there is a possibility that she was using Witchcraft, a branch of oriental Thaumaturgy.

Secondly, news came from the church a couple hours ago. The priest stated that Ruler went after Caster of Blue and lost her when she teleported away. However, Ruler was able to catch a glimpse of her appearance. She had long pink hair and elven ears. She also had a pair of wings and was dressed in greek clothing.

 _'Greek clothing.'_ Waver mused.

If he's not wrong, then he had probably solved the mystery. Caster of Blue originated from ancient Greece and was the one who destroyed one-third of the Einzbern Castle. While the fox woman, Caster of White, was the one who fought against Saber last night.

 _'Yep, now I just need to confirm it with the prana signatures. I should be close to where Caster of Blue launched her attack, according to the amount of prana shown on th-'_

"Oh hey, boy. Come with me!" Rider appeared out of nowhere and dragged Waver off, ignoring his screams of protest.

 _'Why does it always happen to me?!'_

* * *

The place of the banquet was chosen to be the parterre in the castle's central courtyard. Debris littered one side of the courtyard, but the scenery was still better compared to the other locations of the castle.

Rider brought the casket to the central courtyard, and the two Servants sat opposite each other with ease. Waver was dragged off from his experiments by Rider, displeasure filled his face.

Rider shattered the lid of the casket with his fist, the musky fragrance of red wine immediately filled the air of the courtyard.

"Isn't this great? I found it in the wine cellar beneath the castle!" Rider shamelessly proclaimed the act of blatant thievery, ignoring the looks Saber and Waver gave him.

"Although this is shaped oddly, it's the goblet unique to this country." He scooped up some red wine with a long bamboo ladle, which was definitely not made for the purpose of drinking. Waver recalled his dream and finally started to understand why the man's subordinates acted oddly sometimes.

"Not bad." Rider passed the 'goblet' to Saber and closed his eyes to enjoy the taste of the wine. "Not bad at all."

Saber accepted the bamboo ladle from Rider and filled it to the brim with wine.

 _Gulp_ She downed it in one gulp. Seeing this, Rider praised her.

"Since we are having a banquet, why don't we talk about the Grail?" Rider opened his eyes, he gazed at the young girl in front of him sternly. "Saber, why do you want the Holy Grail?"

"Why do you ask, Rider?" Saber turned solemn.

Waver flinched at the sudden change of atmosphere. _'Is this the aura of kings?'_

"I would like to know the motive behind your desire for the Holy Grail. This is not a question from an ally, but from a fellow king." Rider accepted the ladle back and drank another spoon of wine. "If possible, I'd prefer to end this peacefully between the two of us. We can discuss which of us is more suited to be the king of the Holy Grail, the victor shall receive the Grail as the prize."

"I agree." Saber said after contemplating for a few seconds. "I also favor ending this war peacefully. The lesser the blood shed, the better."

Rider nodded and smiled at her response. "Since I started it, I will go first then-"

"Oh? How impudent for you to start without inviting me."

A blinding light flashed and eight beings stood in the central courtyard. Rider recognized five of them from Saber's report, but the other three were totally foreign to him.

The first was the woman who spoke earlier. She was wrapped in a dress as dark as midnight and possessed peerless beauty, with long black hair and black eyes along with pointed ears.

The second was a young girl who stood at the back of the group. She had pale green hair and yellow eyes, and she was wearing a kimono.

The last was a young girl with long pink hair and elven ears. She also had a pair of wings and was dressed in greek clothing. Definitely Caster of Blue since she matched the appearance Ruler described.

Saber stood up and glared at the Servants of White. She really wanted to use Excalibur, she could practically win the war easily with all of the White Faction present. Even though she wanted to do so, her sense of honor will not allow it. This was a banquet meant for kings, not a place where fight should happen.

Semiramis seemed to understand Artoria's plight and snickered inwardly. She gestured her fellow Servants and proceeded to sit down alongside Rider.

Medb, Nero, Scáthach and Nobunaga followed her and sat down as well. Tamamo, Kiyohime and Circe didn't follow, they stood a distance away instead.

Although Tamamo was related to Emperor Toba of Japan and Circe was related to Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithacar. Tamamo was merely a prized courtesan while Circe was only Odysseus' lover. They were neither queens nor rulers despite their brilliant minds.

Rider wasn't fazed at the sudden arrival of the White Faction, but his Master sure did. Waver stood rigid with both his mouth and eyes wide opened.

 _'They're all here!'_

* * *

In a hotel room, Kiritsugu eyes widened.

He started watching the two's conversation since he was slightly interested in Saber's wish for the Holy Grail, but he didn't expect this.

 _'What to do... Although ordering Saber to use Excalibur might work since it's an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm, the time required for her to charge it would allow them to teleport away.'_

After a brief contemplation, he decided not to use his Command Seals.

If Saber somehow managed to launch Excalibur successfully, she will definitely turn hostile against him. Even if she didn't, Rider definitely will.

 _'Pride, huh?'_

* * *

"Hahaha! Welcome, fellow kings, or should I call you queens?" Rider grinned. "I am the Iskandar, King of Conquerors! May I know your names?"

Artoria sat back down, lamenting at Rider's nonchalant attitude.

Rider offered Semiramis the bamboo ladle, which she accepted.

"I am Semiramis." She said promptly and downed the wine.

"I welcome you, Wise Queen of Assyria." Rider eyes twitched. For someone who died by poisoning to meet the world's oldest poisoner...

Semiramis frowned at the taste of the red wine. She snapped her finger and a violet magic circle appeared.

Artoria tensed at the magic circle, but relaxed after seeing goblets and wine bottles coming through the created portal.

"This is a banquet of kings, the cheap wine you're drinking isn't suited for such a grand event." Semiramis handed the wine to Rider, the goblets floated to the seven rulers. "Try this instead."

"This is good stuff!" Rider uncorked the bottle and was surprised at the fragrance it gave off. "I can tell just by the smell!"

"Of course it is, these were gifts from my Master." Semiramis seemed proud.

Rider poured the wine into his goblet but stopped close of drinking it. He wasn't afraid of poison, a ruler wouldn't disgrace themself by poisoning a fellow king in front of so many others.

"Here." He lowered his cup and grabbed the bottle. He filled the other Servants' goblets with wine. "Shall we?"

Rider raised his goblet and clinked it against another six. He downed in all in one gulp, so did the others.

"Good wine!" Rider exclaimed and Saber nodded with a satisfied face.

With the taste of good wine, the Servants started introducing themselves. Medb was the first one to speak.

"I am Medb. I have heard of your deeds, King Alexander. I hope you are as great a warrior as a king." The young girl with long pink hair looked excited.

"Scáthach." The purple-haired beauty said straightly.

"I am the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven, Oda Nobunaga!" The young girl with dark hair stood up and exclaimed.

"I am Nero Claudius!" The blonde-haired young girl in a military-styled red dress stood up beside Nobunaga and declared haughtily.

"Q-Queen of Connacht?" Rider winced. "Ha, haha... I am not as great of as a warrior compared to being a ruler." He definitely didn't want to be tied down by someone as, uh... passionate? as her. A number of heroes from Celtic Mythology died because of her, and he sure wouldn't want to join them.

"King Alexander, as the host, why don't you tell us your wish for the Holy Grail first?" Semiramis interjected and Rider gave her a grateful look.

Rider took a sip from his goblet and smiled shyly. "I wish for true incarnation." He looked very embarrassed.

"W-What's with that wish?! Didn't you wanted to conquer the world?!" Waver cried out at the ridiculous wish and Saber was surprised as well, though the Servants of White seemed unperturbed.

"Idiot, why would I want the Holy Grail to conquer the world for me?" Rider flicked his Master away and shrugged his shoulders. "In the end I am but a Servant. I wish to be reborn as a living human. And with my own body, I shall defy both heaven and earth. That is what the act of conquest is all about. It is how it begins, proceed and is finished." Rider finished downed the entire cup. "Such is my path of conquest."

Saber wanted to rebut Rider's wish but Nobunaga voiced out first. "You have a great dream, King of Conquerors!"

"Many thanks, warlord of Japan. As a fellow conqueror, why don't you tell us your dream?"

Oda Nobunaga, also known as the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven, was the conqueror of the warring states during the Sengoku Period and is regarded as one of three unifiers of Japan. She is the most famous Japanese historical figure due to her being the biggest factor and the key to the unification of Japan.

"I do not particularly have a wish for the Holy Grail." Nobunaga rubbed her chin. "Though I would like to see what the ultimate bomb will be like, those creations of modern people sure are fascinating!"

Her words caused the faces of the more lawful Servants to change.

The ultimate bomb? Does she intend to detonate that thing somewhere? If she did, the damage would be unimaginable.

They definitely can't allow the laughing girl to win. The Servants of White know it is very likely that due to her tendency for unusual ideas, she may use the Holy Grail itself to make some sort of mess. Her wish just confirmed the idea as well.

"Don't you think bombs are great? The explosions would definitely be quite a view!"

"I-I get it, warlord of Japan." Rider coughed and turned to the young girl he tried to avoid earlier. "What about you, Queen of Connacht? Will you share your wish with us?"

It was wiser to ignore Nobunaga. If they gave her any strange idea, she might just attempt to turn the Holy Grail into a bomb. What would happen if the ultimate wish-granting device was turned into a bomb? He wouldn't want to find it out anytime soon.

"My wish is to make all superb men of past, present, and future into my lovers!" Medb beamed, ignoring the stunned expressions of the other Servants. "I love men, warriors, and people who are stronger than anyone else! That is why all strong men should fall in love with me!"

As expected of Queen Medb. The young girl of affairs who built engagements, marriages and, at times, nothing but carnal relations with many kings and brave warriors.

She was also the ringleader who caused the greatest war of the Ulster Cycle. It might be true when they said that she is endowed with the aspect of discord and conflict, as a Divine Spirit that rules over insanity, evil and royal authority.

 _'But I wonder... what is love? I have been in love many times. But, what I had, was it truly love?'_ She had realized it long ago but she didn't want others to know her true wish. She knew that she wouldn't be able to obtain the Holy Grail of this war. _'Should I start searching for the meaning of true love? What about Master? He seemed wise and is a capable warrior himself...'_

"Ahem. It is indeed an interesting wish." Rider scratched his cheeks. "Will you enlighten us with your wish, warrior queen?

"My wish..."

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

 **Cliffhanger? :D?**

 **Anyway, Fate/Zero is coming to an end and should end before 40k words.**

 **I changed the glossary, it will be updated alongside the story.**

 **See you on the next chapter then, ciao!**


	10. Banquet of Kings (Part 2)

**Einzbern Castle's Central Courtyard, Night 3**

"My wish is quite simple." Scáthach said with her eyes closed. "I wish for someone who can kill me to appear."

Scáthach is the warrior-queen and gatekeeper of the haunted ground called the "Land of Shadows", she is a prodigy of spearmanship and Rune magecraft. She possesses a power immense enough to obtain control over and close the gate of the "Land of Shadows", which is overflowing with countless ghosts, to ward off the dead.

Having turned halfway into a Divine Spirit at the end of a long time, she became an immortal existence. She can no longer die as a person. Neither a beautiful death, nor even a hideous death. She must simply continue to exist, until the end of times. If something like the Holy Grail is truly almighty, then she hoped someone who is capable of killing her to appear.

The mood turned solemn at her words. To many, immortality might be the ultimate dream they chased after. But it was also a curse to many as well. The experience of watching everyone you knew die while was torturous.

 _'Though I no longer felt the torment of eternal life after meeting Master.'_ Her Master, a man who also possessed immortality, had a life that she couldn't think of. Her experience couldn't compare to the pain and sorrow her Master has gone through. _'Is this what it felt like when you meet someone who is similar to you? Perhaps, perhaps he can be the one to give me hope...'_

"I can not understand you, Queen of the Land of Shadows. I believe eternity is a beautiful and magnificent thing." Semiramis looked at Scáthach questioningly. "Wouldn't it be marvelous to live forever? My wish is to have an eternal rule. I desire an eternal life and an eternal authority over the masses."

The Wise Queen of Assyria ascended to the throne and reigned as a regent over Assyria for a few decades by assassinating the king with poison, this is the oldest case of murder by poisoning in legends.

She was a very enthusiastic person who indulged in luxury and pleasure. Since her childhood, she has studied a wide range of disciplines such as cosmetics, hairdressing, dancing, clothing, music and astronomy, and her beautiful face has captivated many men.

Her passion has led her to start a war to possess a single man, and to poison her husband, the king, for politics, but her abilities as a queen are indisputable, proven by the many expeditions she has led.

She believed it necessary for one to be superior to others and have more desires than regular people as a ruler, thinking that those who uphold frugality are only playing a sport privileged to those who have gained the most important possession of all, authority.

Semiramis wanted to live forever in an empire where her words are absolute, to live luxuriously without any worries for all eternity!

Scáthach didn't refute her words. Everyone have their own wish and she didn't have the right to interfere, she just hope that Semiramis' wish wouldn't backfire on herself.

Semiramis huffed and turned to Nero after seeing Scáthach' silence. "Your turn, Roman Emperor. "

Although she wanted to ask why the Irish woman detested immortality so greatly, the other party clearly didn't want to answer.

"Umu. My wish is to let all the world witness my art!" Nero said with a flamboyant gesture.

Nero believes that she is an artist before an emperor, truly thinking that she is an artist who rivals the god of arts, Apollo.

"Though rebuilding Domus Aurea is good too..." Nero seemed to be in a deep contemplation. Yet in actuality, not even ten seconds passed.

"Umu, I've decided! Although rebuilding my Domus Aurea is great, but won't it be better to just build a new theater that will be even grander than the old one?! My new theater will surpass all my previous creations and become the ultimate art!"

 _'Umu. I am indeed wise!'_ That's right! She would have a new theater and she will show it off to the world! Both her wishes would be fulfilled.

"A splendid dream, Emperor of Rome!" Rider clapped at Nero's passionate statement.

"The pinnacle of arts, huh?" Nobunaga rubbed her chin and widened her eyes. ' _So that's it! Why haven't I realized it sooner? Explosions are the pinnacle of arts! I have been an aspiring artist this whole time!'_

Looks like the relationship between Nero and Nobunaga got closer even when they didn't notice it themselves.

Of course, if Nobunaga's inner monologue was known to someone like Artoria, she would summon her Excalibur and blast the young girl to smithereens immediately.

The Demon King of the Sixth Heaven was known as an evil and merciless warlord in history. She ordered brutal massacres which ended the lives of countless people, women and children included.

So how could a lawful knight like Artoria allow Nobunaga's interest in weapons of massive destruction to blossom further?

* * *

"I don't have a wish for the Holy Grail because Master has already granted it." Tamamo downed a cup of wine while Circe and Kiyohime had the 'as expected' expression on their faces.

The three Servants who weren't included in the conversation between the seven other Servants were drinking as well.

Circe has taken out a wine bottle and the other two sniggered when she told them that she stole it from Semiramis' stash.

"Caster, what is your wish for the Holy Grail?" Tamamo asked with a curious face.

Her and Kiyohime's wishes were pretty obvious. She wished to find true love with Titus, to marry him and spend their life together eternally. Kiyohime's wish should be similar to hers.

"I'd wish for everyone in the world to understand the greatness of kykeon." Circe replied while nodding at the thoughts of her favorite food.

"Kykeon?" Kiyohime raised her eyebrows.

"This oat porridge, is kykeon!" A bowl of violet porridge appeared on Circe's hand. "It can be both a medicine as well as a poison, it's a food of the gods!"

Kykeon was an Ancient Greek drink of various descriptions. Some were made mainly of water, barley and naturally occurring substances. Others were made with wine and grated cheese. It is widely believed that kykeon usually refers to a psychoactive compounded brew. Basically, it was a drug.

In the Odyssey, Circe added honey and magic potions into her kykeon. So was it a magical drug?

"Try it!" Circe summoned a spoon and smiled.

Tamamo and Kiyohime refused. They wanted to know what the bowl of porridge will do, but they weren't willing to be its 'victim'. Not to mention that the bowl of violet 'sludge' was giving them an ominous feeling.

"Tsk, tsk. You just don't understand its greatness." Circe shook her head while pointing the spoon at the two pale Servants.

"Well, at least Master ate it happily when I fed him." Circe said with love in her voice.

Tamamo and Kiyohime turned fierce at the mention of Titus. A woman's jealousy shouldn't be underestimated.

How could they forget it? Despite the young girl's innocent looking face, she was known as the Witch of Temptation and Depravity in mythology.

Circe was an eternal maiden with a tendency to fall in love and become deeply jealous. She is also the aunt and tutor of Medea, the Witch of Betrayal!

"Y-You fed master?" Tamamo had a forced smile.

"Uh huh. He finished a large serving of kykeon and even complimented my cooking." Circe nodded at Tamamo with a cheerful smile.

 _'I can't let Master near this woman!'_ The two rivals of love looked at each other and made a temporary alliance. How could they allow Titus near the witch that turned men into lions, wolves, and pigs upon growing bored of them?

"Why do you ask?" Circe tilted her head. "Well, whatever... Hey. Tell me your wish, Kiyohime."

"I..." Kiyohime put down her cup and paused for a few seconds. "I... I wish for a world without black lies."

Kiyohime answer surprised both Tamamo and Circe.

They expected her wish to be related to Titus and definitely not something like this.

"Will you not wish to be together with Master?" Circe asked and Tamamo nodded vigorously. Shouldn't she be happy at the possible lost of a love rival?

"Of course I want to be with Master." Kiyohime was gloomy. "He has been honest and gentle to me since my summoning. But..."

"But what?" Tamamo shook the dragon girl.

"I don't like lies! I wish those swindling pigs to disappear forever so that no one would have to suffer from untruthfulness anymore!"

Kiyohime loathed dishonesty.

In her legend, She fell in love at first sight with the handsome monk Anchin, who requested for a single night's lodgings while on his way to a temple in Kumano. However, upon visiting Anchin late at night, Kiyohime was bluntly rejected. Nevertheless, Anchin promised to meet her again while on his way back from the temple in Kumano.

In the end, Anchin broke his promise out of fear for Kiyohime and ended up running away without meeting her. Noticing that, Kiyohime felt into despair, grief, and resentment over being betrayed, turned into a Dragon and began to pursue him. Finally catching up at a temple, she burned Anchin to death while he was hiding inside a bell.

She is a self-styled girl that lived for love. Due to her madness, she believed her Master was the reincarnation of Anchin. Only after Titus removed her insanity with a Command Seal did she realized that he wasn't her love.

But even knowing her Master wasn't the reincarnation of Anchin, she still fell in love with him. To be more precise, she fell in love with his honesty. It was the first time someone has been this sincere to her.

Titus taught her about the world she has never seen before and she came to know that not all lies were harmful. In fact, eternal honesty would end up destroying the concept of trust between humans. Humans are creatures whom possessed ever-changing morality. Their actions and thoughts reflected on the situation they were in and small lies helped humans trust each other.

That is why a world without lies would bring out every human's ugliest selves. However, it wasn't wrong to wish for the removal of all harmful lies! Those men who cheated others with lies should all just disappear!

"I-I get it. I don't like lies either." Tamamo bit her lips and muttered.

Tamamo, who also originated from Japan, knew the dragon girl's legend. She hated those treacherous people since her own downfall was similarly caused by a single lie.

"Ah, look! Saber of Blue is going to reveal her wish!" Circe tried to change the topic after seeing the depressing atmosphere.

* * *

With Nero's dream told, the only one remained was Artoria.

"Those wishes... that's not how a king should be."

Everyone looked at the young girl's solemn face.

"Hmm?" Semiramis leered. "Let us hear what you wish for then."

The Assyrian Queen was clearly displeased at the insult. While others were more interested in the young King of Knights' answer than her disparagement.

"I wish for my homeland's salvation. With the omnipotent wish-granting device, I shall avert Britain's fate of destruction." As Saber dramatically finished her sentence, everyone lapsed into silence.

"Hey King of Knights." Rider finally broke the silence. "Did you just say that you would change fate? Does that mean you wish to change the past?"

"That's right. Even if it is a wish that a miracle can not fulfill, if the Holy Grail truly is omnipotent, I'm sure..." Saber answered haughtily, misunderstanding others' silence as confusion.

Semiramis snickered, but Rider spoke up before Saber can rebuke the dark-haired queen.

"Uh, Saber... just making sure, but the country known as Britain fell during your time, during your reign, right?"

"That's right. That's why I can't accept it. That's why I lament it." Saber motioned her hand to her chest in a gesture. "I want to change how it all ended, because it's none other than my responsibility-"

Suddenly, Semiramis laughed out loud. The laughter was full of mockery and amusement.

Saber was enraged by the grave insults, the thing most precious to her was ridiculed by Semiramis. She hasn't noticed the concerned looks the other Servants were giving her because of her anger.

"...Queen of Assyria. What's so funny?"

"She calls herself a king and is praised by everyone as such... yet she says that she laments it?" Semiramis ignored Saber as she chuckled. "How can I possibly keep a straight face?!"

"Saber." Rider creased his brow as he stared at Saber with worry in his eyes. "Surely you aren't denying the history in which you've created?"

"I am! Why are you bewildered? Why do you laugh?" Saber was stubborn as she had never doubted her own ideals. "The country that gave me my blade, the country that I sacrificed my life to, was destroyed. Is there something wrong with my grieving?

"Did you hear that, King Alexander?" Semiramis giggled with ridicule. "This young girl who calls herself the King of Knights is speaking about sacrificing for her country!"

"How is that funny at all?!" Saber stood up and glared at Semiramis. "A king should make any sacrifice to ensure his country's prosperity."

"No. You're wrong." Rider objected in a deep and firmed voice. "The king does not sacrifice anything. It is the country and the people that sacrifice themselves for the king. Absolutely not the other way around."

"What?!" Saber shouted. "Those are the words of a tyrant!" Saber could no longer suppress her own anger.

"Exactly. We are heroes because we are tyrants." Rider face remained gloomy. "However, Saber. If a king regrets his rule or its conclusion, that king is nothing but a fool. Being a fool is worse than being a tyrant!"

"Iskandar... your reign ended with your heirs slained, and your empire dissolved into three parts." Saber retorted sharply. "Do you have no regrets at how it ended?"

"No, I do not." Rider answered calmly. "If the end was brought by my decisions, then I will accept it for what it is."

"...What?"

"Yes, I will grieve. Yes, I will weep. But I shall never regret!" Rider stood up and glared at Saber. "Let alone undo it! Such a foolish act is an insult to all who fought alongside me during my reign!"

"Only brutes find glory in destruction!" Saber shook her head. "Of what worth is a king who fails to protect the powerless?"

The other Servants stared at Saber pitifully.

"A correct governance and a lawful society. Those are the true duties of a king!" Saber proclaimed firmly. "The only one fit to rule is someone who would willingly give themselves up for an ideal."

"That's not how a person should live." Rider sat down and let out a deep sigh.

"Saber. You said you would die for your ideals. In life, you must have been a pure and honest saint. A noble and inviolable figure, certainly." Rider stared into Saber's eyes. "But who on Earth admires the martyr's thorny path? Who dreams of such a life?"

Rider downed his cup and continued.

"You see... As king, you must be greedier. You must laugh louder, and you must be more furious than everyone else! A king must exemplify the extreme of all things, including good and evil. That is exactly why his subjects envy and adore him. And why the flame of wanting to be like the king can burn in the hearts of every civilian."

"Proud King of Knights. The righteousness and ideals you bore may have saved your country once. However... I'm sure you know what happened to those who were constantly and only saved."

"What... did you say?" Saber eyes wavered.

The bloodstained sunset hill.

That sight she wanted to forget so greatly reappeared in her mind.

"You saved your subjects, yet you've never led them. You never showed them what a king should be. You abandoned your men when they lost their way. Alone and unperturbed, you followed your own little pretty ideals."

"I..."

There were many things she wanted to say in retort. Yet, every time she opened her mouth, she could only see the site she witnessed at Camlann.

Bodies everywhere. The blood ran like a river. There lied her subjects, friends, and loved ones.

"Thus, you are no true king. You are but a little girl, bound by the false idol of king who served others but not himself."

"I..."

As she pulled out that sword in the stone she knew about the prophecy. She knew that she was destined to fail, and she already understood.

But... why...

"Artoria Pendragon." Saber was brought back to reality by Semiramis' words.

"You are just a flower vase pretending to be king." Semiramis was no longer amused. She was instead disgusted at Saber's naivety.

"Pathetic." Scáthach shook her head. She has lived a long life and seen many things, the position of king shouldn't have landed in the hands of someone like Saber. In the end, she was only a little girl who chased after an impossible dream.

Nobunaga also recognized Saber's fault. Despite being known as an infamous warlord, you can't deny her achievement in the unification of Japan. She was able to accomplished that because she was both a wise leader and a military genius.

Nero too, was a great ruler. She loved her citizens and showered them with love. She was able to reform the corrupted government and improved diplomatic relationships. If not for being poisoned and pushed around by her mother and the senate, Rome would have prospered considerably during her reign.

"You do not understand the feelings of your subjects." Medb sighed. She herself wasn't the best of rulers, but at least she understood her citizens and was admired by them during her reign as queen. "You are just blindly leading them to your so called salvation...!"

"That is enough." Semiramis stood up. "I have had enough of you and your derision of kingship."

A dark portal appeared and she step in. "I'll see you at our final confrontation, little girl." The other Servants of White also disappeared.

The Assyrian Queen's laughter was the last thing they heard before the portal disappeared.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Seibahhh!**


	11. Approaching Zero (Part 1)

**Fuyuki Central Park, Night 3**

At the same time the Servants of White joined Saber and Rider in the Einzbern Castle, Titus led Sakura to the plaza of the Fuyuki park.

The little girl was still in a daze. She still remember when Zouken had adopted her into the Matou family in order to raise her as the next heir.

Around 200 years ago, the Matou began to decline and their offspring started to lose their capacity to manifest Magic Circuits. Matou Shinji, the latest heir of the Matou family, was born with no Magic Circuits. While Matou Kariya was the last known member of the family to be naturally born with Magic Circuits.

Tohsaka Tokiomi, like most Magi, chose only one daughter to carry on his family's tradition as he believed raising an additional child would introduce competition. He offered Sakura to Zouken since the Matou Family were ancient allies of the Tohsakas.

The Magecraft of the Matou worked around the concept of absorbing, or from another perspective, to bind something to oneself. Their method of teaching is not by letting the mind absorb the knowledge through study, but by literally carving it into the body through the use of Crest Worms.

As the successor of the Matou's Magecraft, she had to suffer from the forceful implantation of Zouken's Crest Worms. The hopelessness she felt from the torturous sessions done by her grandfather had cemented him as an invincible figure in her mind, yet she witnessed that unbeatable grandfather killed by the man beside her just moments ago.

"Sakura!"

The little girl snapped out of stupor when she heard a familiar voice.

Looking ahead, she spotted the silhouette of her uncle Kariya running towards her.

Kariya took Sakura into a hug the moment he reached her.

"Y-You're fine now, Sakura. Uncle Kariya won't let you get hurt ever again." The man kept crying and apologizing to her.

Titus came up and patted the man's back. "Matou Zouken is dead, you both are safe now."

Kariya sobbed and looked at the man who saved both him and Sakura. "Thank you... really, really thank you, Ruler."

"You should take Sakura out of town. The Holy Grail is still going on and there is a high chance that a former Master would be targeted." Titus smiled.

"The worms in your body should have stopped moving. I disabled and cut off their connection to Zouken the last time we met, they should have all died from lost of nutrients and prana by now. But remember, you have less than a week left."

Titus whispered into Kariya's ear. "So please spend your remaining time together with this child. I'll help take care of the inheritance when this war is over."

Kariya wiped his tears and nodded at Titus. "Come, Sakura, say thank you to Titus. He is the Ruler-class Servant and the person who promised to rescue you from grandfather." Kariya turned Sakura around.

Sakura looked at Titus absentmindedly and bowed. "Thank... T-Thank you, Titus-san."

The fake Ruler nodded at the pair. "I have received your thanks. Please be on your way, looks like a clash between the two Factions will soon happen."

The two followed the gaze of Titus. He was looking at the direction of Shinto, or to be more exact, the Fuyuki Civic Center.

* * *

Saber stared at the space where the Servants of White disappeared, the looks they gave her before they left was one full of disapproval.

 _'Was I wrong the whole time...?'_

She remembered when several reputable knights left Camelot because they felt that a human without emotion cannot rule over others. She simply accepted this to be a natural event that is part of the process of government, further isolating herself from her knights.

 _'...No. I can still fix my mistakes...!'_ The waves in her eyes stopped and she looked up in determination. _'I can still fix it by using the Holy Grail...!"_

If she could reverse history, she could find someone to replace her as king. With a better king, Britain would be saved!

Rider look at the stubborn young girl and sighed. He wanted to admonish her, but it was not the time to do that. Semiramis' last words gave him a sense of foreboding, and his instinct tempered through countless life and death situations was rarely wrong.

Just as he was about to notify Saber, Assassin popped out from the shadows. The Assassin-class Servant of their faction had been doing covert missions, such as intelligence gathering and surveillance, since the start of the war.

The Master of Assassin, Kotomine Kirei, had told them that Assassin was known as Hassan of the Hundred, one of the Hassan-i-Sabbah. His Noble Phantasm permitted him to divide himself into 80 separate existences. It was quite obvious with their dark skin and black clothing. Not to mention that they wore the standard skull mask associated with the known Hassan of the other Grail Wars.

Hassan-i-Sabbah, also known as the "Old Man of the Mountain", is the pseudonym shared by the nineteen leaders of the Hashshashin, a medieval Islamic sect based in Persia. They are always the Assassin class, and sometimes the only possible candidates for the class entirely.

It seemed that the Master of Assassin had already gave up on victory when he told them his Servant's identity and Noble Phantasm.

 _'Though I never liked the feeling the priest gave me.'_

The Servant of Shadows walked up to him and bowed. "King Alexander, my Master has something he wishes to inform you and the others."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"We have information on the White Faction." Assassin took out a sealed envelope and handed it to Rider. "The details are written here."

 _'I knew my senses weren't wrong...'_ Rider rubbed his chin.

"Well then." Assassin bowed again and then went into Spirit Form.

Rider looked around and found no trace of Assassin. Saber was still in a daydream and Waver had fainted from shock at seeing so many Servants.

 _'The boy is still far from being a man.'_ Rider shook his head and opened the envelope.

The contents were pictures and a map of the Fuyuki Civic Center, there was also a note inside it.

 _The Lesser Grail was placed in the Fuyuki Civic Center,_ _I beg for your assistance in recovering the Lesser Grail._

 _The Master of Saber had agreed to cooperate and is on his way,_ _I am also going after it alongside Kirei and Assassin._

 _..._

 _-Tohsaka Tokiomi_

 _'The Lesser Grail... isn't it too soon? What is the White Faction doing?'_ Rider sobered.

* * *

"The others have received your message." Kirei, who was running alongside Tokiomi suddenly spoke up.

Despite being normal humans, they were able to run at many times the speed of an average man due to a spell.

The spell was called Reinforcement, it allowed a Magus to push a basis to the utmost limit. In the current case, they reinforced their body to reach the realm of a superhuman.

A squad of Assassins were protecting them, and the remaining ones have went ahead to surround their target.

Tokiomi nodded at his student and hurried his steps. It would be best for them if they could retrieve the Lesser Grail, he wasn't so optimistic to think that they would be able to defeat the enemy Servants who have numerical advantage.

* * *

Rider and Waver were currently riding on a powerful black horse to the fourth evocation site of the Holy Grail.

The Divine Bulls were heavily wounded by Nobunaga so he had to summon his partner, legendary horse Bucephalus, even if it might divulge his second Noble Phantasm.

The plan was for them to directly storm the front, gaining the attention of the White Faction. If he had to, he would use his Noble Phantasm to trap them inside, gaining time for the others so they could retrieve the Lesser Grail.

The Masters were going to sneak into the building through the backdoor, they were responsible for recovering the Lesser Grail while the Servants distract them.

Saber, the Servant best at close combat, was to enter the building from the underground parking area. Her task was to defeat as many enemy as she can while slowly working her way up to the inner section and meet up with the Masters.

A squad of ten Assassins would move along with the Masters, while the remaining Assassins guard the surroundings and kill any escaping enemy Master. They would also act as reinforcements in case of emergency.

The plan wasn't perfect, but it acceptable considering the hurriedness they were in. Though he and his Master would be the ones in most danger...

Rider came out of his musings when he spotted the silhouettes of enemy Servants.

 _"Boy... I think we drew the short straw on this one."_

 _"I know we will be facing multiple Servants, but didn't you say you were confident?"_ Waver looked at Rider with doubt. _"Let me see... huh?"_

Nine. That was the number of foes they were about to face.

 _"Are they... The Masters of White...?"_ Waver glanced at Rider hopefully.

The young Magus had a bad premonition since none of the figures in front of him looked normal. In fact, he felt serious danger from all of them. He recognized eight of them from the banquet Rider held earlier.

Five of them were definitely Servants since they joined Rider in drinking. The other three sat away the five, chatting and drinking among themselves. He didn't know whether they were Masters or Servants since he fain-... ehem. Since he felt lightheaded and went to rest halfway into the conversation.

The ninth was a beautiful woman white long purple-black hair and blue eyes, she was dressed in an unusually provocative clerical clothing. He had never seen her since the start of the Holy Grail War, making her a complete unknown.

...He didn't want to acknowledge it. No, He didn't want to even think about it. What if, just what if. Everyone that are blocking them were-

"They are Servants." Waver flinched at the grave voice that came from Rider. "Every single one of them... are Servants."

* * *

Emiya Kiritsugu, the Magus Killer, silently moved to the back entrance of the Civic Center. Kirei and Tokiomi were already waiting for him there. He turned to the two and nodded at them, which they both responded. Words were not needed when they all understood the plan and how important their task was.

The group slowly navigated through the building. Sounds of fighting were heard from beneath them, implying that Saber had engaged the enemy Servants. But what concerned them the most was how quiet it was at the entrance, it was supposed to be where the most fighting happened. Yet right now it was utterly silent, not a single sound could be heard from there.

All of a sudden, the floor collapsed and the group fell down. Kiritsugu landed unharmed by reinforcing his body. He looked around, the place they landed was a particularly spacious room. Looking above, the hole they fell down from was nowhere to be seen. Instead of the hole, there were countless ceiling lights.

"We are... under the music hall?" Kiritsugu was right.

The group have landed in the storage space for large props located below the music hall. They are right beneath their target, where the Lesser Grail was placed. But why would their opponents set up a trap that transport them there? Were they trying to confine them? And why haven't he heard anything from the others...

Kiritsugu abruptly rolled to the right, narrowly dodging a blade. His head would have been skewered by it if he were to be slower by even a millisecond.

He turned around and furrowed his eyebrows at the gruesome sight. Kirei stood there with blood all over his priest garment and Tokiomi lied on the ground lifelessly. Looking at the situation, it was quite obvious what happened. There were no wounds to be seen on the Executor's body while a dagger was lodged inside Tokiomi's back.

 _'But why...?'_ Kiritsugu didn't have time to ponder. He understood from the look his opponent gave him. The steely gaze filled with desire and tenacity, it could only meant one thing, which is that combat couldn't be avoided between the two of them.

"Let me ask you, Emiya Kiritsugu." Kirei drew out six Black Keys from within his frock and stared at the opposite man. "What do you seek from the Holy Grail?"

...

 _Flashback_

"Greetings, Kotomine Kirei." Kirei looked at the white-haired man who sat across him. It was Ruler, the Servant of Order and a fellow man of god.

"I have a proposal for you." Ruler crossed his legs.

"A proposal? Aren't you here to-"

"Now, now. Father Kotomine." Ruler chuckled. "I am here to help you. To assist you in your plight."

He didn't know why, but the smile Ruler always had on, irritated him greatly. The Servant's virtuous and benevolent smile made him very uncomfortable, he wished that he could just crush that face-

 _'What am I thinking...?'_ Kirei slightly lost focus.

"I can see it, Father Kotomine. You are an empty man, someone who can only find happiness in others' pain."

"What foolishness are you spouting, Ruler. I am a devout follower of god." Kirei glared at Ruler.

"You know it yourself, don't you? You can't understand and appreciate the beauty common people do, but instead you found pleasure in misery and despair. Oh how spectacular the sight would have been if a child were to die horrendously after witnessing their parents tortured and murdered."

Kirei imagined the scene described by Ruler. An innocent little girl, face filled with tears and hopelessness, staring at the dead bodies of her parents... how amusing-

He snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at Ruler. "How sinful! You are a saint yet you have the audacity to mouth such foul acts, have you no shame?!"

"The first step is acceptance, Father Kotomine." Ruler shook his head. "Just look at your own face."

"...What are you saying?" He saw.

In the metal's reflection, a depraved smile formed on his face. The smile was so twisted, it should belong to a madman, not of a priest's.

"This... This is me?" Fluctuations appeared in Kirei's eyes.

"This is you, Kotomine Kirei. You are a man so wicked that such a small vision can incite your innermost demon."

"But fear not, my child. God is always with us. He will never abandon a pious follower like you." Ruler rise and spread his arms in a gesture of benevolence. "I will help you rid of your heart's evil and make you normal. Normal like how every life granted by god are supposed to be."

Kirei stood up and stared at Ruler. "Tell me, Ruler. How do I become normal? How do I feel human like everyone...?!"

Ruler smiled and extended his hand.

* * *

Saber drove a motorcycle down a sloping path that extended below the Fuyuki Civic Center and entered the underground parking lot.

All around her was darkness, the only part visible was her front which was lighten up by the headlights of the motorcycle. Support pillars surrounded her, this place was certainly a prime location for an ambush.

At that moment, a resentful roar sounded out from the shadows of a pillar. Her instinct kicked in and she leaped off the bike immediately. A rain of fire covered her previous position and in an instant, the bike she was riding turned into a pile of scraps.

"This weapon-" She recognized the type of weapon her opponent was using, because the man who was also her Master used this kind of weaponry. It was a gun, the mainstream weapon of the modern world.

Another round of bullet headed her way. She took cover behind the pillars and sprinted to the assailant, coming face to face with a black knight.

"You are..."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I've been playing The Forest.**

 **You should try it too if you can find a group of friends to play with.**


	12. Approaching Zero (Part 2)

_That day, the sun was covered and the world was shrouded in darkness._

 _Endless nightmares haunted the livings and the dead were denied from their eternal peace._

 _An innocent young boy looked up the cloudy sky and wished for a miracle, one that will never be granted to him._

 _A journey he knew was impossible, yet he persevered and perished like many others who seek the same impossible dream._

 _His determination and willpower yielded him a miracle, a second chance that promised him endless suffering._

 _The moment he decided to light the fire, he knew the darkness was eternal._

 _He despaired. How could a mere human overcome an obstacle of such heights?_

 _The boy only wanted to see the sun, and to let everyone experience its warmth once again._

 _That is why, I..._

* * *

 **Underground Parking Area, Night 3**

"Berserker, why are you-"

The opposite Servant was completely enveloped in black fog. The mist was one of Berserker's Noble Phantasm, For Someone's Glory, it prevented Masters from reading his status.

Saber didn't have time to continue. She crouched down to avoid a reckless swing from Berserker, the anti-material sniper rifle in his hand had long since lost its regular color. The Barrett M82 was covered in a spiderweb pattern of black veins, looking alien and repulsive compared to its normal forms.

She moved around nimbly, using the pillars as support. She rushed at Berserker's blind spot, and a swing cut the sniper rifle into two pieces. Saber leaped away just as she was going for another slash. Berserker has pulled out a submachine gun and fire at her, the gun was in the same state as the sniper rifle.

"Stop, Berserker! We are allies!" Saber shouted, hiding behind a half-destroyed pillar.

Her answer came in the form of lead projectiles. Having been aggravated earlier by Rider and the Servants of White, she lost her patience and promptly darted towards Berserker. Saber's entire fighting style and strength are based around her Mana Burst ability. It allowed her to release magical energy and reinforce herself instantaneously, boosting her power and speed in combat.

With the help of Mana Burst, she moved past the rain of bullets and arrived in front of Berserker. The black knight didn't even flinch at her sudden appearance, he threw the submachine gun away and caught her sword with his two hands.

 _'He knows the length of my blade?'_ Saber looked at Berserker, stunned. _'Could he be a knight I once knew?'_

"I ask this, assuming you to be a skilled knight." Saber backed away and pointed her invisible sword at Berserker. "If you recognized that I am the King of Britain, Artoria Pendragon, then give me your name, as befitting to a knight's glory!" She cried out loudly.

"Haha... hahaha!" Laughter answered her earnest request.

"You...!" Saber frowned at Berserker's mockery. The black knight was laughing so hard that his full-body armor was trembling.

The black fog around Berserker began to contract. Within the shrinking mist, the true appearance of Berserker was finally revealed. He was fully clad in pitch-black armor and a helmet with a thinly carved slit which displayed the ghastly glow of his eyes.

The armor must have been crafted by a master smith, it had a magnificent image and functionality. It was carved with countless marks and scratches, showing its wearer's valor from various military exploits. It was the ideal battle outfit that all knights would yearn for.

"You are... how... how could it be you?" Saber eyes widened. She recognized the owner of that suit of armor. He was a member of the Knights of the Round Table, he had been a knight more excellent, more loyal and braver than any other.

"...Sir... Lancelot."

Lancelot, also known as Knight of the Lake, was the person serving as a negative symbol of the Arthurian legend. He was extremely loyal and was admired as the strongest even among the Knights of the Round Table. Lancelot's downfall began when he fell in love with King Arthur's queen, Guinevere.

Lancelot and Guinevere started their affair during the King of Knights absence. When their affair was discovered, the queen was ordered to be executed. Lancelot attempted to save her, killing several of his fellow knights in the process.

His disloyalty fractured the balance among the Knights of the Round Table. This incident eventually became the trigger of civil war and carnage, and the country shattered to pieces in the flames of war.

A vengeful cry came from Lancelot at the mention of his name. His black helmet dissipated, revealing a blackened face. His handsome face which drew the admiration of many women was nowhere to be seen. In its place was a lean and haggard face, he was corroded by anger and his eyes were filled with hatred.

"... Do you really..." Saber looked at Lancelot with a pain-filled face. "Do you really hate me so much, my friend...?!"

* * *

"Oh my, King Alexander." Medb looked at Iskandar teasingly. "What a coincidence to meet you here."

"Cut the crap, Medb." Scáthach glared at Iskandar. "This is the end, King of Conquerors. Your death will feed the Holy Grail."

The atmosphere turned heavy. Everyone understood that tonight will be the finale of the Fourth Holy Grail War.

"Wah?!" Waver shouted. He was suddenly yanked from his seat and placed on the ground. "What are you doing-" He couldn't continue.

Because the expression Rider had on his face was most earnest he had ever seen.

"This is it, boy. This fight is meant for Servants, not a human."

"But-" Waver was cut short when Iskandar 'patted' him in the back.

 _Cough Cough_

"Waver Velvet. I am glad that someone like you was my Master." Iskandar grinned. "You are a great Magus and a smart boy. I wouldn't take anyone else as my Master even if I was guaranteed to win."

"Rider..."

"I wanted to spend more time together and teach you how to become a true man, but the gods seemed to be impatient." Rider shook his head helplessly. "I will remember the joyful days we spent together. But don't worry! It's not like I'm marching to death." He guffawed.

"So for just this once, please listen to me."

Waver was on the verge of tears. But he quickly wiped his tears and stared back with resolve. "...Although this is all I can do for you. But I believe that you will be the one laughing in the end, after kicking all of their asses!"

"My Servant, I, Waver Velvet, use a Command Seal to give this order." He raised his right hand and said. "Rider, you must win this battle."

The red tattoo shined and a part of it dissipated, showing the order was properly given. But the boy wasn't done.

"Again, I use a Command Seal to give this order." The second Command Spell on his hand glowed. "Rider, win the Holy Grail War."

The final Command Spell shined after the second one vanished. Command Seals are the link between a Master and a Servant, so it could be said that, if Waver lost his final Command Seal, Rider would no longer be his Servant. But the boy was unwavering despite knowing the consequences of his action.

"Lastly, I use a Command Seal to give this order." Iskandar looked at the young boy. There were no hesitation in the young Magus' eyes. "Rider, you must conquer the whole world!"

"That's the spirit, boy!" Iskandar laughed. Bucephalus slowly moved toward the Nine Servants. "I promise to be victorious!"

...

"That was quite touching, King Alexander." Semiramis spoke up. "Though we are not here for mere theatrics."

"Indeed, Queen of Assyria." Rider laughed. "May I have the honor to know the names of the beautiful ladies?"

The Servants looked at each other, not sure if they should reveal their true names.

Finally, someone voiced out after a moment of silence.

"I am Circe, the Caster of Blue." The first one to introduce herself was the pink-haired demigoddess. "It's nice to meet a fellow child of god."

Despite the absence of clear evidence, Alexander the Great was said to have been the son of Zeus in many stories. Circe was similarly a demigoddess, being the daughter of the Sun God, Helios.

"Since you are about to die. I will tell you my great name." Tamamo said smilingly. "It's Tamamo no Mae!"

"I am Martha, just Martha." Martha had a neutral expression. "I'll have to ask you to die for the greater good, King of Conquerors."

"It's Kiyohime." Kiyohime said blandly. Iskandar was already a dead man in her eyes.

"The Witch of Temptation and Depravity, one of Japan's Three Great Monsters, a dragon and... a saint." Iskandar turned grim.

None of the opposite Servants were weak. Circe was a demigoddess and a famous witch in Greek mythology. Her skill wouldn't be doubted as someone who was known to represented the domain of Magic and wielded the Magecraft from the Age of Gods. With the Magecraft from the Age of Gods, she can even reach the realm of True Magic in her own workshop.

Tamamo no Mae was a separated spirit that originated directly from the sun goddess Amaterasu's soul. Therefore, she was a spirit of a higher order than the Earth Spirit from myths. The Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit was probably one of the strongest Heroic Spirits in the Throne of Heroes. Luckily, the female Caster in front of him only have three tails.

 _'But to be summoned with even three tails. Her Master must be either an extremely capable Magus of great ancestry or a literal prana battery.'_

If Tamamo were to summoned with nine tails, she might as well be classified as a Divine Spirit rather than a Heroic Spirit. She was literally born from Amaterasu, the strongest and most important deity of the Shinto religion. Amaterasu was also the ruler of Takama no Hara, the domain of the gods in Japanese mythology.

He wasn't that knowledgeable of Kiyohime, but what he did know was that she was a dragon. Dragon kind are considered the pinnacle of all non-human creatures that are found in legends and fantasy. As the strongest of Phantasmal Species, they generate magical energy merely by breathing, their lungs acting as spiritual worlds, and they possess traits from other types of monsters.

Their strongest weapon, Dragon's Breath, can destroy a whole country when the damage from its breath were spreaded throughout a whole army. The pale green-haired young girl in front of him might look normal at the moment, but all hell will break loose when she turns into a dragon.

Lastly, Martha, or Saint Martha, the Dragon Rider. A saint of the 1st Century who suppressed the evil dragon Tarasque. A holy maiden who made a terrible and grotesque monster fall madly in love with her.

 _'Another dragon... so I must face two dragons at once?'_ Iskandar sighed inwardly. _'But I don't get it, why are there nine Servants on their side? Shouldn't it be eight? There is an addition even when Circe is included as the Caster of Blue. And why are they all blocking me here? What of the Lesser Grail?'_

 _'...Does this mean that there is a traitor among us? Is it Matou Kariya and Berserker?'_ Iskandar contemplated deeply. None of the Servants across him knew what he was thinking since his countenance hasn't changed even once. _'Or could it be...'_

"I know you are impressed by me but let's get this over with, I have to go home and warm Master's bed~" Tamamo's eyes shined dangerously.

Bucephalus leaped back, dodging a torrent of fire. Iskandar pulled out his gladius and blocked icicles that headed toward his head. He frowned seeing that the other Servants have readied to charge at him.

 _'I won't last a minute against nine of them, looks like I have to use my trump card.'_ He smiled wryly. _'And trump cards are supposed to be used at the final moment...'_

Iskandar further his distance with the Servants and grinned. "Servants of White, let me show you the glory of Macedonia!" Intense wind swirled and a vortex formed with Iskandar in the center. "Now, to the distant ends of the earth!"

The scorching wind continued roaring until it became a sandstorm. Reality itself was distorted and an impossible scene appeared before the nine Servants. It was a desert. A sand-filled expanse roaring with hot and dry winds under the scorching sun and cloudless, clear skies without anything to obscure the everlasting horizon.

Ionioi Hetairoi, Army of the King, is the ultimate Noble Phantasm of Alexander the Great. The trump card of the King of Conquerors, it summons a Reality Marble that embodies Alexander the Great's dreams and philosophies as a king and the bond formed with his subjects, his life sublimated as a Noble Phantasm.

Heavily armed cavalry of soldiers slowly appeared, they are famed and legendary warriors all of whom once fought alongside Alexander the Great on the battlefield. Every single one of them was a Servant. The men marched into the land where they and their king shared many joys and sorrows, this desert was a land of irreplaceable memories.

"Our enemies are the mighty heroes of legends!" Iskandar rode Bucephalus to the front of his army and raised his gladius. "My warriors, let us show them our path of conquest!"

The soldiers raised their weapons and cheered. Iskandar charged and his men followed him, they are going to wipe out the ones who opposed their king!

"As expected, it's a Reality Marble." Semiramis said calmly. _'If not for Master's warning, I would have been surprised by this. But thankfully...'_

She turned to Tamamo, Circe and Scáthach. The three women nodded at her and she smiled back in acknowledgement. They have came prepared for the King of Conquerors' final Noble Phantasm. Tamamo and Circe started channeling prana into Scáthach. Although the purple-haired Lancer had enough magical energy to complete the task alone, it was still better if her burden could be lessened since she was needed later.

"Gate of Skye." Scáthach murmured.

A massive gate opened and a giant floating fortress appeared from within it.

"What?!" Iskandar widened his eyes. He didn't know that the White Faction already have information on his Reality Marble and kept charging, trying to reach the opposite Servants before they can counterattack. Unfortunately, he was dead wrong.

Gate of Skye is a Noble Phantasm possessed by Scáthach. It is related to the gate of the Land of Shadows. She can temporarily summons a massive gate to her shadow realm, which sucks in all life forms in range. If the target failed to resist, they're sucked into the gate and are instantly killed.

Scáthach can choose specific targets on whether to allow them access or not. In this case, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was moved into the Land of Shadows prior to the confrontation with Iskandar. She only have to reopen the gate and allow it to pass through.

The four Servants and their Master did their best at reinforcing the flying fortress. Titus provided the materials, Semiramis provided the blueprints, Circe reinforced the fortress with her Magecraft and Tamamo further it by using her Witchcraft. Lastly, Scáthach carved runes all over the Hanging Gardens, including the Primordial Runes with the power of the Age of Gods.

The original Hanging Gardens of Babylon Semiramis made could not be compared to the current one. Its resilience, firepower, speed, defense systems, and even comfort are enhanced to a level that made the previous fortress seemed like a pitiful piece of junk.

The smile Semiramis gave Titus and the three that day was incomparably bright. She would have dragged the man off to her bedchamber straightaway if not for the protesting Tamamo and Kiyohime.

"You will face the might of my Hang Gardens, King of Conquerors!" Semiramis materialized in the throne room, where she operated the entirety of the fortress.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I was suddenly motivated and Tadah~! a new chapter.**


	13. Approaching Zero (Part 3)

A beam of light shot straight at the charging army, wiping out many soldiers. Semiramis was able to utilize Magecraft that reaches into the realm of Magic when she's in the floating fortress. The Hanging Gardens was treated as her personal field that increased all of her parameters in rank, boosting her fame level to the highest class, and revised attacks in her favor.

The EX-ranked blasts capable of overwhelming even A-ranked Magic Resistance continued firing upon Iskandar's army. Dragon Tooth Warriors and Dragon Wing Warriors, their flying counterpart, were summoned as they clashed against the incoming army.

"Fergus My Love, lend me your Rainbow Sword!" A Spiral Sword materialized on Medb's hand. It was Caladbolg, The Rainbow Sword, wielded by the Irish hero, Fergus mac Róich. He was one of the many unfortunate warriors of Ulster whose death was caused by Medb.

"Caladbolg!" The swords shimmers and a beam of rainbow light fired towards the approaching army, killing off many soldiers.

The other Servants weren't just waiting when Medb used her Noble Phantasm. Nobunaga held two muskets while three thousand muskets surrounded her, they fired volleys in every direction while matching the guns she held in both of her hands. It was her Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, Three Thousand Worlds.

Scáthach summoned the Gate of Skye once again, sucking in many brave warriors of Ionioi Hetairoi into the Land of Shadows and instantly killing them. Despite being Heroic Spirits, most of the soldiers were Servants of the lowest ranks. They did not have enough Mana to resist the force of the massive gate. The ones who were able to resist had their Mana rapidly drained while they took major damage.

A battlefield is the stage where Mages shine the most. Tamamo and Circe bombarded the entire field with countless spells. Flame pillars, cyclones, lightning storms and blasts of pure Mana ravaged the battlefield. While Circe's Noble Phantasm wasn't suitable against an army, Tamamo's definitely was.

Tamamo no Mae's Noble Phantasm, Eightfold Blessing of Amaterasu, is a mirror that she wears on her body. She summoned a circle of levitating talismans and a number of glowing Torii gate surrounded her, this action was meant to charge the mirror with energy.

She stood in the middle of the circle and drew in energy. The energy drawn into the mirror allowed her to use spells without the need to expend any Mana for a limited time, which was comparable to performing as if she had a supply of infinite magical energy.

One might ask, how much damages could a Caster-class Servant with infinite magical energy bring about? The answer was fairly obvious when you see the state of the battlefield.

After the activation of her Noble Phantasm, Tamamo started using spells that usually have horrifying costs without batting an eyelid. With her 'spell spamming', she was able to wipe out the majority of the opposing army. It was as expected from a Servant that was pretty much a pseudo-Divine Spirit.

Iskandar didn't have the chance to call for retreat. Just when the barrages of spells stopped, two dragons appeared in his front.

"Are you kidding me?" He knew from the start that he didn't stand a chance against nine Servants.

It would have been doable if they were low-ranking Servants, but reality was indeed harsh. The moment he heard their true names, he understood that victory was not possible. He tried to surprise them with his Reality Marble, but it seemed that the information of his Noble Phantasm was leaked somewhere.

He looked at the brave warriors of his empire. None of they were unharmed, most were moderately wounded and some were barely able to stand. With victory far out of reach, morale was at an all time low.

 _'So this is it.'_ He sighed and laughed dryly.

The vast desert slowly faded away as Iskandar cancelled Ionioi Hetairoi. His men didn't have the ability nor morale to continue fighting. He also did not want to see them struggle to death against two dragons.

Two beasts of the Transcendent Kinds were before him. The first was Kiyohime, she had transformed into a great serpent. Azure flames surrounded her as they continuously burned without stop. He felt feverish from the scorching heat the flames gave off even when he stood a distance away from the azure serpent.

The second was a beast with a turtle-like appearance. It had a gigantic head, a shell that grew sharp spikes on it, six legs, and a long tail with spikes containing a poison similar to a scorpion's growing on it.

Its name is Tarasque, the Giant Iron Armored Dragon, child of Leviathan, the tyrannical dragon that tormented the people of southern France in the 1st Century. Saint Martha's Noble Phantasm was the summoning and usage of the monster Tarasque, she can even temporarily summon its shell to protect her and her allies.

"Ride... Rider!" A panicking Waver shouted. Anyone would be scared stiff when a giant floating fortress and two dragons suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Boy..." Iskandar pulled the reins on a rapidly-breathing Bucephalus and rode to Waver.

His favorite mount was trembling. He was not surprised since all animals were susceptible to their primal fear, and there were two beings that could be called an apex predator in front of it.

He should instead be complimenting his partner since it didn't just turn around and run away. Even a trained warhorse would have abandoned its master out of fear when there are two legendary beasts in front of it.

"They got my army." Iskandar smiled wryly at the terrified young boy. Even with the boosts from the three Command Seals, he wasn't able to win. No matter how much power-ups he received from the Command Seals, his army simply couldn't survive attacks from multiple high-rank Noble Phantasms.

"...You lost?"

"What are you saying? I haven't been defeated yet!" Iskandar laughed. "This fight isn't over as long as I still breath."

Iskandar looked ahead, where his opponents stood there silently. He gave them a silent thanks for the chance to talk with the young boy one last time. The giant man turned to his Master with a serious and dignified face. "Come to think of it, there's one thing that I have to ask you."

"Huh...?"

"Waver Velvet. Would you become my subject, and serve me?"

Waver's entire body shook. He was flooded with emotions from the time they have spent together. Then, like the bursting of a dam, floods of tears poured out.

It was a question that he knew would always be out of his reach, and yet one he had been yearning and anxiously waiting for. There was no need to search for a reply, it was because he had already prepared one, hidden deep in his heart like a treasure.

The boy, called by his name for the first time, threw out his chest without wiping away his tears, and replied with a steady voice. "You... You, are my King. I will serve you. I will give my all for you. Please, guide me and let me see the same dream."

"Very well." The King of Conquerors smiled. "Then witness this fight, Waver Velvet! Live on and see everything through to the end. Live long, and tell it, the nature of your King, the spirit of this Alexander!"

"Now, Bucephalus, my old partner, let us march to conquest!" Bucephalus neined in acknowledgement.

"AAAALaLaLaLaie!" With the sound of his Master's war cry, the legendary horse charged at their foes.

Bucephalus avoided a beam of light from the floating fortress while Iskandar deflected countless projectiles from Nobunaga, Tamamo and Circe with his gladius. Suddenly, a red spear flew from the direction of Scáthach and it impaled the black steed.

Iskandar didn't look back at the slowly disappearing mount, he advanced forward with a face filled with resolve. Barrages from Nobunaga and the two Casters continued raining down on him. He couldn't block off all the attacks and kept running while he sustained heavy injuries.

What welcomed him were the brilliance of Dragon's Breath. The intense purple flame formed from the combination of Kiyohime's azure and Tarasque's red flames headed toward the King of Conquerors, turning everything in its path to ashes.

"...This expedition has been exciting, in all respects as well..." Iskandar grinned at the scorching inferno heading his way. The flames incinerated the Heroic Spirit of the Mount, only particles of light remained at the spot where King Alexander was.

In term of time, it was merely a short battle. However, it was equivalent to a lifetime to Waver, who had it all burned into his eyes without blinking once. He wouldn't ever forget this scene, in the memory and honor of his king.

"Young man, you are Rider of Blue's Master, right?" Waver looked at the approaching woman. It was Saint Martha.

"This battle is over, but the Holy Grail War isn't." The woman smiled at him. "Please leave the city until the Holy Grail War is over, we will not pursue nor attack you. I hope you will not lengthen your participation in such a bloody war and preferably, never partake in something like this ever again."

"Now be on your way." Martha left alongside the other Servants after speaking to Waver.

The young Magus looked at the retreating figures of the Servants in silence. He only cried loudly for the first time after they left, staring at the spot where his king once stood.

* * *

Kiritsugu was prepared to quickly finish off Kirei with his pistol, which contained his trump card.

The Thompson Contender is a special piece of equipment compared to his other weapons, which are armaments for the Magus Killer that can simply be bought and replaced at any time. It is something that cannot be bought with money that represents Kiritsugu as a Magus, a Mystic Code with which he can use Magecraft during battle against another Magus.

It is a break-open single-shot pistol that is simple yet powerful. Even though it is not suited for real combat, it was chosen as his Mystic Code due to it being able to deal the maximum physical damage possible. It is a weapon only for his use that he has favored on many battlefields.

He used the Contender in conjunction with Origin Bullets, which are special Conceptual Weapons that utilize Kiritsugu's Origin to its fullest extent by actualizing it within a target. The core of the Bullets were his bone dusts, they contained the essence of his Origins.

Kiritsugu was a special man. He was born with dual Origins, Severing and Binding. It was so strange that his family were at a loss when they found out about it, they even ended up naming him after his dual Origins.

Origin Bullets, containing part of Kiritsugu's soul, actualize his Origin of Severing and Binding upon contact with the target, which can cripple living creatures that are fired upon. They are especially effective against Magi since the impact of the Origin within the bullet affects everything all the way down to the Magic Circuits of the practitioner.

Severing and Binding, is entirely different from the idea of Destruction and Rebirth, as there is no chance of recovery.

The Severing aspect will cause magical energy stored within the Circuits to ignore the paths within the body, flowing chaotically and destroying it in the process. Afterward, the circuits will be bound together again with the Binding aspect, albeit in a chaotic and useless manner, thus rendering them permanently inoperable and destroying the target's Magecraft abilities.

Kirei bolted at him before Kiritsugu had a chance to raise his arm. The priest used one of his Command Seals to enhance his Black Keys, increasing their size by more than twice over. The Origin Bullet was fired and the Black Keys successfully blocked it off. Kirei had forcibly fill them with magical energy from the Command Seals, causing them to surpass their limit to allow them to block the bullet.

Kiritsugu started backing off while firing his Calico M950 in bursts at Kirei, but the bullets were completely blocked off by Kirei's bulletproof clerical frock. The Executor didn't stop his advance, he threw six more black keys at the Magus Killer and ran forward even faster.

 _'Time Alter: Double Accel!'_ Kiritsugu utilized his unique Magecraft and managed to further their distance. He could not allow the priest to get close since he was inferior in close combat.

The Emiya Family's Magecraft is related to the domain of time. Time Manipulation is the ability to separate the passage of time inside a designated space from the flow of time in the outside world.

His Innate Time Control came in the form of a Bounded Field inside his body. It doesn't allow for the world to be affected, but rather allows for Kiritsugu to adjust a few seconds of time within his own body. With the use of his Magecraft, he is capable of speeding up or slowing down himself to a certain extent.

Kirei seemed surprise at the sudden increase of agility, as Kiritsugu moved at twice his normal speed. The Magus Killer threw the submachine gun away and reloaded his Mystic Code. Kirei immediately threw more black keys at Kiritsugu and sprinted towards him.

Kirei is a practitioner of a type of Bajiquan, called Super Bajiquan. It is an ultimate technique born from the miraculous fusion of Bajiquan and Magecraft, having become an Internal Art that transcends the External Art. He would be able to crush Kiritsugu the moment they were engaged in a melee fight.

 _'Time Alter: Double Accel!'_ Kiritsugu utilized his Magecraft once again and loaded a new round of Origin Bullet just before Kirei could reach him. The priest raised his arm, trying to guard against the incoming bullet with his bulletproof frock, but the round traveled straight through it.

With his right arm disabled, Kirei have just lost half of his fighting capability. So he decided to use his trump card. The Command Seals on Kirei's hand shined and Kiritsugu inwardly panicked. He didn't want this fight to involve their Servants since it would ruin the entire plan of recovering the Lesser Grail.

At that moment, the Command Seals on Kirei's hand suddenly dimmed. Kirei screamed in pain as the red tattoos on his hand, the proof of Master, slowly burned into oblivion. The could only mean that his Servant, Hassan-i-Sabbah, have perished.

 _'Time Alter: Square Accel!'_ Using the opening, Kiritsugu reached into his coat and pulled out a military knife, the M9 Bayonet. He moved at four times his usual speed and reached Kirei instantly. With a swipe of the knife, the priest's jugular was severed.

Kirei stared wide eyes at his opponent's sudden appearance, he seemed to be trying to speak but he couldn't do it with his throat sliced. The light in the priest's eyes slowly dimmed and he collapsed to the ground.

Kiritsugu stared at Kirei's body coldly. He picked up the Calico and put a few rounds into the Executor's body. After confirming the kill, the Magus Killer quietly walked out the room and headed towards the direction of the music hall.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I don't know why but I just felt like writing :D**

 **Reviews are appreciated!**


	14. My Dream, Your Wish (Part 1)

_Thud._

Saber was threw to the ground once again. She could not bring herself to fight against Lancelot while the black knight bashed her continuously with his sword.

Arondight, the Unfading Light of the Lake, the holy sword wielded by Lancelot and the counterpart to her Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory were the most precious of swords that had been obtained by men from the fairy lands.

That sword had been dyed pitch-black. The holy sword which everyone praised and respected was now filled with resentment, turning into an accursed demonic sword.

The once ideal knight admired by the citizens of Britain was clouded by madness, and became a beast that only seeked vengeance. Her most loyal knight, screaming and roaring at her. He stared at her with eyes filled with such hatred.

 _'Why?'_

What has she done wrong? She gave up everything and swore to protect Britain. Why do you hate me so much? Was it Guinevere?

 _"The king does not understand the hearts of men."_ Sir Tristan's last words echoed in her head.

...Is it because I do not understand the feelings of my subjects? She recalled Rider's solemn words.

 _"You saved your subjects, yet you've never led them. You never showed them what a king should be. You abandoned your men when they lost their way. Alone and unperturbed, you followed your own little pretty ideals."_

The fall of her kingdom... the lifeless bodies of her subjects, knights and loved ones... the hill that had been dyed red with blood...

 _'Why is Fate so unfair?! I strived for the prosperity of Britain! I fought and killed, defending my homeland again and again and again! So why?!'_

"Stop!" She shouted with tears rolling down her face. _'The Holy Grail... if I can have the Holy Grail! I will be able to!'_

Saber put strength into her sword and deflected Lancelot's blow. At the moment she decided to fight back, Lancelot stopped moving. Excalibur pierced into his heart and the knight in black armor slowly falls down onto Saber.

"If I do not do this, my friend… If I do not do this, then I will be unable to give you any sort of recompense at all." Saber said amidst sobbing. "With the Holy Grail... I will be... I will be able to... save everyone..."

"...Saddening indeed. Things have come to this, and you still make excuses to fight?"

A nostalgia voice.

"My king... I could not stop myself from loving Guinevere, so I was never able to forgive myself." This voice... Saber slowly turned her head to the man leaning against her.

It was Lancelot.

"However, King Arthur... You never questioned me for my crimes. You never sought recompense. You simply continued to stand before us in your righteousness."

"But I desired judgement at your hands. Had your anger judged me, I might not have fallen into the path of madness in my search for atonement."

"Lancelot, you...!"

"To die in the King's arms, before the King's eyes..." The Knight of the Lake quietly whispered and sighed. "Haha, like this it is really... as if I am a loyal knight..."

"You... you shouldn't say that-" Tears kept rolling down Artoria's face.

 _'But I can say this much with certainty, King Arthur.'_ Lancelot was dissipating. _'You were the greatest among all kings.'_

"...Wait... wait... Lancelot...!"

 _'All those who served you...'_ Lancelot smiled before his body slowly dissipated into specks of violet lights. _'...felt the same way.'_

"No...! Lancelot!" Saber fell down. She cried, tormented as if countless thorns were piercing her heart.

If there was a miracle, could everyone be save? Could salvation be granted upon Britain...?

"The Grail...!" Saber wiped the tears on her face and stood up. "It's not too late... I still have the Grail. I still have the miracle that can overturn fate..."

As long as she can obtain the Holy Grail, all the previous mistakes could be righted.

Covered with wounds, Saber stepped forward.

* * *

Kiritsugu and Saber met at the entrance of the music hall. The corridors, stairs, rooms he passed through were filled signs of combat. He could guess what happened to the Assassins from the countless bloodstains.

Both them were in poor conditions. His unique Magecraft places a large burden on himself since his Innate Time Control was far above the level of basic physical enchantment.

It causes inconsistencies between the flow of time inside and outside the field. Once the movement is complete and the field is removed, natural forces will forcefully adjust the incorrect time.

And since the Bounded Field is within his own physical body. In order to get back in sync with the normal time flow, adjustments occurring within his flesh greatly damage him. Even brief uses have him accompanying death, and continuous activation is nothing less than suicide, making it his riskiest technique.

 _'Irisviel...'_ Perhaps it was her intuition, Irisviel has left Avalon inside his room in the Einzbern Castle on the day she was kidnapped.

Avalon, the Everdistant Utopia, is the scabbard of Excalibur. It is the embodiment of the utopia King Arthur seeks, originally stolen from her shortly before the Battle of Camlann due to the machinations of her sister, Morgan le Fay.

Jubstacheit von Einzbern, the eighth and current head of the Einzbern family, presented them the golden scabbard as the catalyst to summon King Arthur. Rather than allowing Saber to have it, he hid its existence from her and kept it for his own use.

Normally, it would be used as the trump card of Kiritsugu as Saber's Master, but he was not someone who would be present on the direct battlefield. It was a useless tool to him due to that Saber would not be able to provide it with Mana since he was working so far apart from her. That was why he implanted it inside Irisviel to preserve her human functions as he didn't want to watch his wife slowly turn into a golden cup.

"Assassin is dead and you took down Berserker." Kiritsugu glanced at his Servant's somber face. "Excluding Caster, that makes two Servants left on our side."

Saber paid attention to Kiritsugu's words despite her current tangled emotions. The man rarely spoke, and when he did, it was always important.

"No, only one remains." The pair turned to the source of the voice, it was from beyond the door.

The door slammed open as an invisible force filled the corridor they were in, pushing them into the room. They entered the music hall, coming face to face with...

"You are...?!" Saber eyes widened at the least expected person. "...Why is it you... Ruler?"

Kiritsugu didn't change his countenance, though he was as surprised as Saber. He scrutinized the two-story music hall, it was spacious enough to accommodate around three thousand patrons. The hall was decorated nicely, giving off both a modern and traditional western feeling.

"Welcome, Saber of Blue, King Arthur and her Master, Emiya Kiritsugu." Titus stood in the middle of the hall, the Lesser Grail was floating above a white table behind him. "King of Knights, you are the last Servant of the Blue Faction. Rider, Berserker and Assassin of Blue have all fallen before you reached here."

Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes. He could guess what happen. Their Berserker stalled Saber while Rider faced off against the Servants of White, Ruler must have been the one to kill all the Assassins. It wouldn't be a problem at all for someone with such high parameters to finish them off all in one go.

"Answer me, Ruler!" Saber glared at the white-haired man. "Why are you here?!"

"Saber, no, Artoria Pendragon." Titus glanced at Saber. "You should have already grasped what is going on, right?"

Saber faltered, she wasn't ignorant nor dull-witted. The situation was crystal clear... Ruler was never on their side from the beginning. They were played by him the entire time.

 _'But why?'_ He was the Ruler-class Servant. His mission should have been the protection of the concept of the Holy Grail War and to ensure the laws of Heroic Spirits wouldn't be violated.

The role of a Ruler is to arbitrate the truth and adjudicate all things in order to maintain human history. The criteria to be summoned for the Ruler Class is impartiality and possessing no desire for the Holy Grail. Those who qualify are most often Saints, and any Ruler summoned to preside over a Holy Grail will be a Saint under normal conditions.

So why would someone who should be lawful and fair disrupt the Holy Grail War when their exact mission was to see it progress smoothly?

 _Creaaak_

The sudden sound disturbed the silence and nine figures entered the music hall. Most of them were familiar to the pair of Master and Servant, and this could only mean that...

"...Rider is definitely dead... and you are also on their side." Kiritsugu voiced out. Ruler wasn't only against them, but he was also cooperating with the enemy faction.

"Yes, the King of Conquerors is dead. But you are wrong about one thing." Laughter interrupted the Magus Killer. "It is not that he is on our side, but we are on his side."

"After all..." Semiramis sauntered down from audience stand, and leaned against Titus. "He is our Master..."

Saber felt strength leaving her body and even Kiritsugu clenched his fists, proving how shocking the revelation was. She stared at Ruler incredulously and looked back on the previous days.

...

 _"Caster of Blue has betrayed the Blue Faction, she has been monitoring you the entire time."_

 _"Ruler, shouldn't you assist us in this war then? The White Faction is clearly breaking the rules."_

 _"Regrettably, I won't be able to lend a helping hand to you. I am summoned to be a supervisor of this war, not to fight in it. It might seem unfair to you, but to me, betrayal is an extremely common thing in war. You will have to surmount this difficult task by yourself."_

...

 _"Is Ruler not joining us?"_

 _"Ruler went after the White Faction and hasn't returned since last night."_

...

 _"Betrayal is an extremely common thing in war."_ The words spoken by Ruler reverberated inside her mind. Even though they weren't familiar with each other, Ruler gave her quite the good impression. He seemed just and kind-hearted... but was he acting all this time?

"Was it the Holy Grail?" Saber rasped. Does he desire a miracle similarly?

"Yes. It is because of the Holy Grail." The fake Ruler turned back to the floating holy cup. "You might not know this, but the Holy Grail is corrupted. I was summoned and assigned by the planet's will to exterminate this... thing."

"The Grail... corrupted?"

"Yes. Inside this cup is Angra Mainyu, All the World's Evil." Titus frowned. "It will still grant wishes, but it will interpret any wish of the owner with nothing else than destruction. Moreover, once it has been opened, it will keep flowing out infinitely and bring disaster."

"Thus, the world would be eventually destroyed if I allowed you to wish upon the Holy Grail. Though..." The white-haired man turned around and looked at Saber with an expression that sent chills down the young girl. She has never expected such cold and emotionless expression from the man who always smiled kindly.

"Your wish for your homeland's salvation is as dangerous as the curses of Angra Mainyu."

"What...?" Saber was taken aback. "What do you mean my wish is dangerous?! I merely want to save my subjects!"

"You are trying to reverse history!" Saber winced at Titus' booming voice. "The simple act of reversing history, means that everyone who were born after your time would disappear! Innocent lives, traditions and cultures, technological advancements would all vanish just because a naive young girl pursued an impossible dream. So how could I approve it?!"

"How many sacrifices do you think the human race made just to reach here?! How many died to famine, plagues and war?!" Everyone flinched at his words. "Your wish will cancel all the efforts they have made...!"

His Servants recalled the dreams they saw, the bloody life the enraged man in front of them had. He wasn't a shining hero from a warmhearted fairy tale, but an anti-hero who attained his position from passing by the countless bodies of his enemies.

 _'The Black Death.'_ Ripples appeared on Tamamo's eyes. _'Is that why you created it...?'_

The population of Eurasia decreased by over a hundred million because of the Black Plague. But thanks to their death, overpopulation was solved and people no longer had to suffer from the lack of resources. Famine would have kept happening and many would die while competing for food. Many wars would've been waged and many revolutions would've happened.

The Black Death saved more people than it killed and the survivors didn't have to suffer with the available lands and resources. It also lowered the belief in gods and let people rely on themselves more, becoming the foundation for numerous industrial revolution since fewer population means many works needed to be replaced by technology.

 _'Even then, why do you walk such a painful path?'_ She stared at the man who was her Master, his shadow seemed more solitary and fragile than ever. _'Why do you put on such a strong front when you are so anguished and despondent...?'_

"No... that is not what I am trying to do..." Saber shook her head and took a single step back. "I only wanted to..."

She has never imagined the severe consequences from her wish, she simply yearned to prevent Britain's destruction. But.. but this... This isn't what she had wanted...!

"...By the name of Emiya Kiritsugu, I order you with my Command Seal..."


	15. My Dream, Your Wish (Part 2)

"...By the name of Emiya Kiritsugu, I order you with my Command Seal. Saber, get us-" Kiritsugu tried to use his Command Seal to escape, but he stopped immediately after seeing two familiar women. "...Iri... Maiya?"

"Kiritsugu!" Irisviel cried out.

Looking at their healthy facial complexion and unstained clothes, Irisviel and Maiya were not hurt. But why was Irisviel here? She was the vessel of the Lesser Grail and should have turned into it by now. If she hasn't, then what of the Lesser Grail that was floating above the table?

"I apologize for my earlier outburst." Titus inhaled deeply. "As I said. The Holy Grail is corrupted and I am here to purify it."

Seeing that Kiritsugu was paying attention, he slightly undo the seal he placed on the Lesser Grail. The brilliance of the golden cup dimmed slightly and the air rippled as a foul aura that screamed pure evil was unleashed into the hall.

"As you can see, I have been suppressing the curses of Angra Mainyu." Titus restrained the cursed Grail after seeing Kiritsugu's expression. His face was pale and the man stared at the floating cup, deep in thought. "I would like to resolve this peacefully. So, Emiya Kiritsugu, let us make a deal."

"...A deal?" Kiritsugu uttered.

"First, you will hand over your Command Seals and then you will swear an oath to not reveal any information of the Fourth Holy Grail War. In exchange, I'll return you your wife and assistant." Titus gestured at the two women. "As you can see, they are both in good health and I have not harmed them in any way."

"The moment you swore the oath, you and your companions' soul will be bound by a magical restraint, which will be witnessed by the planet's will. You will be allowed to speak of Angra Mainyu to only Jubstacheit von Einzbern and no one else."

"But remember, the head of the Einzbern family will also be restraint after hearing the truth of the Holy Grail that their family created. Jubstacheit isn't a fool. Rather than blaming you, he might instead praise you for clearing off the shame of their family."

Kiritsugu mused. It was true, the Einzbern's family wish was to recover the Third Magic. However, it would be pointless to recover Heaven's Feel if the world were to end right after they succeeded.

He glanced at Irisviel and Maiya. The choice was between a cursed artifact and his loved ones. No, it wasn't even a choice. The moment he decides to fight for the Holy Grail, he will be attack by ten Servants simultaneously. Even a powerful Servant like Saber would be killed under a minute.

"Oh, I forgot to mention something." Kiritsugu looked at the smiling Titus. "After the Holy Grail is purified, it will return to its original state, which means that another Holy Grail War will happen in the future. In fact, the Fifth Holy Grail War will happen in at most ten years, I shall guarantee it with my status as a Heroic Spirit."

"You do not have to continue fighting since we both know your chance at victory is slim when it's ten against one. You just need to partake in the Fifth Holy Grail War ten years later. With ten years of preparation and your experience as a former Master, the Magus Killer can certainly win the upcoming war."

"King of Knights, you should understand it too, right?" Titus turned to Saber. "Kiritsugu still possess the catalyst to summon you. You'll be able to participate in the Holy Grail War after a decade."

The music hall fell into silence.

Saber mind was in a jumbled mess. She was so close to her dream but the thing that she desired so much turned out to be All the World's Evil, just how ironic was that? Additionally, she now understood why Ruler opposed them despite not coveting the Grail. He should have been the one who wanted to protect mankind the most.

Kiritsugu has already made up his mind. He would have been more doubtful of Ruler's words if not for the aura he felt from the floating cup earlier, so he had decided to trust in the promise of a saint.

"By my Command Spell, I order my Servant..." The red tattoos on Kiritsugu's hand flared up. Saber simply stared at her Master quietly. She had gave up on the Holy Grail... this time. "...Return to where you belong, Saber!"

All strength left her body and the young girl slowly dissipated into particles of light. _'One day... I will definitely save Britain from its destruction...!"_

* * *

"...This place... again..." Artoria was sent back to the battlefield of Camlann.

This was the hill where her last battle was fought.

The sky, the ground, the hill, everywhere were colored in blood.

The corpses of her allies and enemies covered every inch of land while their broken weapons spread throughout the bloody hill.

But this was not an ending, the flames of desire still burned deeply inside her.

"...Someday, I will win the Holy Grail."

However, Ruler's words of condemnation echoed in the young girl's head repeatedly as she knelt down.

* * *

"The Fourth Holy Grail War... is over." Kiritsugu have left with Irisviel and Maiya after transfering the remaining Command Seals.

He was glad that in the end, the Magus Killer prioritized his closed ones over his own wish for humanity's salvation. After all, he never said that the Holy Grail couldn't grant a wish after it was purged of Angra Mainyu.

 _'An utopia where_ _all warfare, bloodshed and suffering does not exist, huh?'_ A surprising wish from a cold and ruthless man. _'A foolish dream, even though I once chased after a similar thing in the past...'_

Semiramis suddenly grabbed his hand as he was about to touch the floating cup.

"Semiramis?"

"Master, I believe you have something to tell us." His Servants blocked his way. Looking at their tranquil expressions, he can tell that they weren't joking.

"Perhaps after I cleanse the Holy Grail? Having the curses of Angra Mainyu so close by wouldn't be pleasant, right?"

"No, Titus." The Assyrian Queen stared at her summoner unflinchingly. "We have to talk precisely because the Holy Grail War is coming to an end."

"What is so important that you will interrupt me from putting an end to All the World's Evil?"

"...It is about you." Scáthach spoke up. "You told us that you were a being that is similar to both a Counter Guardian and a Heroic Spirit in nature, and that you were tasked to purify the Holy Grail of Angra Mainyu. However, you never told us who you really were."

"I know it is presumptuous of us to ask you this seeing that we only knew each other for a short time..." Nobunaga wasn't cheerful as she usually was. "I need to know the truth or I cannot fully entrust you with the Grail."

"Praetor, you should understand it too, right? We cannot hand over an omnipotent wish-granting device to someone who all we knew conspired numerous wars and massacres."

"I have perceived your sincerity in helping others when you requested for my aid, but the horrible scenes I have seen for the past few days changed my mind." The real Ruler continued. "As a saint, I cannot allow the artifact to fall into the hands of someone like you."

"You are a strong warrior, Titus. You can have all my praises." Medb gave him a sad smile. "Even though I swore to fight for you and was really happy during my stay in the world, I am still a Heroic Spirit. Please answer us honestly... who are you?"

"...Your existence denies the history I know of." Circe grasped her staff strongly and stared at Titus with complication. "There were too many questionable occurrences in my dream. It's as though you were there every time something important happened in history..."

"It is not just the significant ones." Scáthach interjected. "There are many deeds that ended up influencing historical events." The female Lancer frowned. "It is as if you were... trying to mold history itself."

"..." Titus stared at his Servants in silence. The remaining two Servants chose to trust him and didn't voice out their opinions.

 _Sigh_

"...So it has come to this." Titus was conflicted since he was prepared for the eventual clash with his Servant. He would have answered with half-truths... but was it because of the affection he hadn't felt in a long time? The long forgotten emotion made him felt guilt when he thought of lying to them.

It was not that he felt love towards the nine females as he couldn't... no... it was more of how he didn't wish to feel love. It was simply because it had been a very long time since someone was made aware of the genuine him.

He admitted that he have always craved for someone to understand him. He didn't need sympathy. As those emotions would only hold him back, all the tears and grief have been abandoned the moment he decided to walk on this thorny path.

Perhaps it was because of the impact from that time, the suppressed emotions were slowly returning to him... So for once, just this single time, he wished for his deeds to be known to someone. He didn't need recognition from the masses or the worship a hero received...

...He merely desired his own salvation.

* * *

Titus and his Servants stood before the ultimate prize for the Fuyuki Holy Grail War, located at the great cave underneath the Ryuudou Temple on Mount Enzou. The white-haired man glanced at the contented Servants and stepped towards the Cup of Heaven. Space distorted nearby his hands as he opened a hole in the Greater Grail and entered it.

The interior of the Greater Grail was pitch-black, no... it was not darkness, but curses, billions of curses. However, Titus trod forward calmly despite the sudden surge of curses and came into contact with a void-like figure.

"Angra Mainyu." Titus uttered.

The shadow responded by pouncing at him, but it was instead repelled by a blazing radiance. The light came from the sword Titus held in his hand, its pommel and guard were golden while the grip was a darker blue. The blade shined with unmatched brillance, it was the strongest and most majestic holy sword, it was...

"...Excalibur..." It growled in an almost indecipherable language. "...Why do you have it?"

"Do you know that Excalibur can exerts its true power only when an enemy that threatens the planet emerges?" Titus answered. "Excalibur might be known as the symbol of King Arthur, but it was never hers. Its true objective is to be wielded in the defense of the planet, eliminating any hostile entities that desires the world's destruction."

Angra Mainyu tried to reply but he closed his mouth when he saw the opposite man's eyes.

"I know you are merely an ordinary villager, not the Persian god of darkness himself."

The shadow flickered.

It was true. He was an innocent man, randomly chosen as a sacrifice by his fellow villagers. They tortured him till he went insane and he was only freed from their abuse when he succumbed to old age.

He became a Heroic Spirit because his forced sacrifice eased the confused minds of his people. There was no heroic feats nor divine intervention, just a helpless sacrifice who accepted his role for humanity, even if it meant to be the blame for their wrongdoings.

"An ordinary person without any special talent that was determined to be and came to represent All the World's Evil." Titus narrated. "And thus, hated by everyone and losing his self, a hero was born."

 _'How does he know?'_

"You are someone who genuinely knows pain. Even after all the sufferings you've gone true, you still loved the world." Titus finished his recount of the true story behind the Servant Avenger, who was summoned by the Einzbern Family during the Third Holy Grail War.

Angra Mainyu hatred for the world became his very nature, but he forgave humanity and accepted both good and evil. He believed that All the World's Evil is simply a misnomer and that humans themselves are the source of all evil.

"I will be the one to guide humanity." Light gathered to the golden sword. "So please leave this world in peace."

"EX-" The light condensed further, merging into a blinding brilliance. The darkness was instantly brightened by its dazzling radiance. Titus raised the sword and a beam of light was unleashed. "-CALIBUR!"

 _'This... this light... it's warm... Is this what I have been looking for all this time...?'_ In the end, he only wanted to grant somebody's wish and be released from the darkness. The man known as Angra Mainyu simply wanted to find happiness.

The light of purification annihilated the origin of the billions of curses and the Cup of Heaven was finally rid of All the World's Evil. With the curses gone, the Greater Grail immediately went through a great transformation and the surroundings were no longer pitch-black.

"Heaven's Feel..." Titus stood amidst a field of brightly-colored flowers. Particles of light floated in the air and mountains formed from crystals that protruded out of the ground. A boundless sky formed above him, showing that the wish-granting device was restored to its original state at long last.

"Welcome." A woman with a doll-like face materialized in front of him. She has red pupils likened to rubies, and a bell-like, beautiful voice. She wore a white dress that was made from gold, and it was fitted with seven rings.

"Do you wish for the activation of the Third Magic?" The white-haired homunculus was Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern. She was the core of the Greater Grail and the head of the Einzbern family two hundred years ago.

"Yes." Titus smiled. "I wish..."

* * *

 **World's Asylum**

 **Personal Skill: Rank EX**

 **The Servant will not experience resistance from the world when performing any kind of Mystery.**

 **The world itself will help the Servant, turning unfavorable situations into favorable ones, nullifying the requirement for Luck, as the Servant will never have a lower fortune than his opponent.**

 **Nature will be at the Servant's beck and call as all Phantasmal Species will find the Servant favorable and they will never attack the Servant on its own. Additionally, communication with Phantasmal Species is possible.**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Stratos263: Thanks for the comments!**

 **Guest: I can see how the story is boring as I wrote the entire Fate/Zero timeline with the idea of a rational protagonist r** **ather than someone from a hotblooded shounen manga as I prefer a story with a protagonist who had experienced reality and faces it with reason.**

 **Guest: I don't think the Servants will instantly fall in love with him after only three days unless it's in their nature, i.e. Tamamo no Mae, Kiyohime and Medb.**

 **Writing a fanfiction is actually harder than I expected. Sure, I could just call it an alternate universe and write everything I want, but the story might simply end up in a jumbled mess if I don't follow the mechanisms and lore of the canon storyline.**

 **With that out of the way... I want to thank everyone who had been following this story and wish you have a wonderful day.**


	16. Epilogue

**The Next Day**

 _'Cold!'_

Kiritsugu flinched at the sudden chill on his cheek. He turned around, coming face to face with a pair of red eyes.

"Cheer up!" Irisviel passed a can of soda to her husband. "There's no point worrying at the inevitable."

He had hurriedly left the city with his wife and assistant after last night's event.

At the moment, they were waiting for Maiya at the terminal of an airport that neighboured Fuyuki City. The young woman had went to buy tickets and still hasn't returned.

"I am fine, Irisviel. I am not concerned of the Einzberns" Perhaps it was because a heavy burden was taken off his shoulder, he felt incredibly relaxed right now. "I am reflecting on Ruler's words."

 _"The Fifth Holy Grail War will be in ten years."_ Even though he couldn't tell anyone the happenings of the Fourth Holy Grail War, the single piece of information given by Ruler was priceless.

He had a decade to prepare for the Fourth Holy Grail War and now he received a similar duration for the Fifth. With the experience of being a Master, winning the Fifth shouldn't be as hard as the Fourth. He could summon King Arthur again since he had already grasped her combat ability well...

"Kiritsugu... Ki-ri-tsu-gu~!" He snapped out of his thoughts as Irisviel shook him. "Answer me...!"

"Yes?" He glanced up and saw that Maiya had returned with the purchased tickets. "I am sorry, I was lost in thoughts again."

Irisviel pulled Kiritsugu from his seat and guided him towards the direction of their plane while Maiya followed after picking up their luggage.

Sunlight shined through the windows of the terminal, causing Irisviel's natural pastel skin and hair to light up brilliantly. The scene was breathtakingly beautiful...

The Einzbern homunculus was happy beyond belief despite failing to win the Holy Grail War. After all, she was allowed to live and spend her remaining time with her husband and daughter. Not to mention how no more homunculus will be sacrificed as the vessel of the Lesser Grail since the current container was in pristine state.

Ruler had removed the Lesser Grail from her body the same night she was abducted. She could only feel immeasurable gratitude towards the kind-hearted Servant.

Irisviel took a few steps forward and turned around, giving Kiritsugu the most radiant smile he had ever seen.

"Now, let's go and save our beloved Illya!"

* * *

"...I am incredibly sorry for your lost, Father Kotomine."

Titus arrived in the Fuyuki Church last night to inform Risei of the war's conclusion. The usually lively church seemed untypically dilapidated and the elderly priest's complexion was extremely poor, it was as if he had aged by a few decades overnight.

Risei tumbled down on a bench and stared at the ceiling blankly. He had lost both his son and close friend in a single night.

"As you know, I will soon disappear since the Holy Grail War had ended." Titus stared at the pallid man and sighed. "I shall return the role of overseer back to you. I hope you can take care of the aftermath after you have recovered from your grief."

The priest merely nodded lifelessly at Titus, showing that he did pay attention to his words... as minimal as it might have been.

"Well then, I'll count on you..." Specks of lights surrounded the fake Ruler as he slowly disappear from the world. "...May god be with you, Kotomine Risei."

* * *

 **Half A Year Later**

"-I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand up on the earth."

A funeral procession progressed in the icy-cold rain.

Three young girls were the ones who managed the funeral.

No expressions of sorrow or anxiety were written on them as they went on according to the procedure of the funeral. While this expression made those who came to mourn feel their strength, none of them held any feelings of pity towards them.

It was a funeral for a high-born clan. For elders, children who grew up under such a strict education should be able to bear anything. The mourners sitting here all held the same belief.

"And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God, I myself will see Him with my own eyes, not another's. How my heart yearns within me… Amen."

The deceased that were being being buried today were Matou Kariya, Tohsaka Tokiomi, Kotomine Kirei and Kotomine Risei.

The coffin was buried into the earth as the eulogy finished. With some words of prayer from the others, the mourners left one by one. In the rain that once again regained its silence, only the young girls who took charge of the funeral and the boy who led the ceremonies were left behind.

"Good work." The boy didn't try to comfort the girls and spoken in an emotionless tone. "Your debut was splendid. I believe your parents would feel proud too."

"Uncle Kariya..." Tears started rolling down the face of Matou Sakura.

Kariya had died a week after the Fourth Holy Grail War. She was struck with grief by her uncle's death and barely recovered a week later. The violet-haired girl was at a lost by the time she realized that she was the last member of the Matou Family. All the other Matous were murdered by her savior the same night Zouken died.

Fortunately, a young boy had visited her before anything could go wrong. He was of European descent and had platinum blonde hair. His teal eyes were as mesmerizing as the finest turquoises and he claimed to be a close friend of the Matous.

Alric von Leiqritus, that was his name. He was apparently a great Magus of the Mage's Association. He came to Japan and offered to assist her in restoring her family in exchange for the knowledge of the Matou's Magecraft.

The naive little girl agreed and gave Alric access her family's archives straightaway. The Magecraft of the Matou accumulated from over 500 years was shown easily to a stranger... However, the boy didn't go back on his words.

Apparently, Mister Alric was also familiar with the Tohsaka Family. He went to to visit Rin and her mother, Aoi, right after signing a contract with her.

Tohsaka Rin nodded in silence at her tutor's word of praise. She admired Alric as he was a genius acclaimed by the Mage's Association. He was also the one who informed her of her father's dead when he visited the Zenjou Family.

Tokiomi suggested Rin to stay at her grandparent's house with Aoi during the Fourth Holy Grail War as the Zenjou residence was located outside of Fuyuki City. The young boy offered to be her guardian and help manage her family properties in exchange for the catalyst her father used in the Holy Grail War.

She ended up agreeing when Alric told her that he would recommend her to the Clock Tower and help transplant the Tohsaka Magic Crest onto her. He had helped her finish the lessons in elementary Magecraft during his stay at Fuyuki, though that will soon come to an end...

The last young girl was not even five years old yet. She had light grey hair and golden eyes. Caren Hortensia stared blankly at her father and grandfather's coffin as she was too young to understand the situation.

Caren barely knew Kirei and Risei before their abrupt death. One day, a boy named Alric suddenly visited and asked for her custody. He claimed that Risei had entrusted her to him before his death. Her father's death in the Fourth Holy Grail War had traumatized her grandfather and the impact of his son's death was so great that the eighty-year-old priest died of grief shortly after the incident.

The adoption process was completed quickly and Alric had taken her to Fuyuki City after handing over Risei's testament. He bought a manor and hired a teenage girl named Reika to look after her.

"I believe that you all know this, but I'll repeat it once more." No sympathy was felt through his voice. "I will be leaving Fuyuki today."

"The Tohsaka and Matou properties will be properly managed by me and its earning will be transferred to your accounts at the end of every month." Rin and Sakura fidgeted. They knew that he was leaving but they still felt uneasy when their pillar of support announced his sudden departure.

"Reika will take care of you during my absence." Titus turned to Caren. "It will be a short while before we will see each other again. Behave well, Caren."

Caren wanted to grab hold of her guardian's hand but the boy simply turned around and left.

* * *

A black car drove to his side as Alric left the Foreign Cemetery.

He opened the car's door and sat in the backseat, sighing to himself.

"What a great day, right?" A teasing voice came from the front. "Mi~st~er Al~ri~c~"

It was Tamamo. She wore a cream-colored zip-up hoodie with her red bra exposed, black shorts, black stockings and a pair of black shoes with ribbons behind them.

"You sure are working hard, Mister Alri- pu!" Nero who sitting beside Alric, couldn't finish her sentence without giggling. She wore a revealing red dress and a pair of red shoes.

"Why do you find my name so funny?" Titus smiled wryly. "I had to choose a German name and this was the best I could think of."

"The best? Are you even trying?" The sound came from the driver's seat. "Stop lying, Titus! We all know how you just opened a German directory to a random page and chose the first name you fou-"

"What is wrong with that? I can't understand your humors at all." It was true. He chose the name by chance but why do they always laugh at him when his name was mentioned?

"Umu. Of course it is because you chose the name of another king." Nero replied.

"..." Titus was speechless. What... what is this? This level of dry humor... It has reached another realm of its own.

"Why do I feel so cold?" Nobunaga suddenly jerked up from the driver's seat. "What sorcery is this?" The Japanese warlord trembled at Titus's cold stare.

Titus and his Servants moved to Germany after the Fourth Holy Grail War concluded. He found a Magi family and hypnotized its family head into adopting him and giving him a status.

He changed his appearance. His white hair became platinum blonde and his black eyes were now teal. His features were more immature and his build became less muscular as well.

The Leiqritus Family was a declining Noble Family affiliated with the Mage's Assocation. They specialized in Formalcraft and Alchemy while also being skillful in Elemental Magecraft. The Leiqritus were once a reputable family in the Clock Tower, but they have been slowly losing their position due to the decline of their Magic Circuits.

It didn't even take much effort to hypnotize their current family head. A simple suggestion and memory alteration spell landed him the status equal to their heir. He then proceeded to show them his counterfeit Magic Circuits, silencing the voice of protests from the other family members.

They were joyous since the Magic Circuits Titus made was the best the Leiqritus have ever seen. The family called in a favor and he was given a letter of recommendation to enter the Clock Tower as a student.

His time in the Clock Tower was quite interesting. The Magecraft of the modern era were crude but the reactions from the various Magi were sure amusing as he resurrected an ancient branch of Alchemy single-handedly.

Potion Making, or Potioneering, was hardly practiced in the present time. The materials required cost a fortune and some simply didn't exist any longer. He used the potions he made to create a reputation for himself.

He even bribed many Magi in order to not be designated by the Mage's Association. His current age, well, the age shown in his documents was 17. As someone who was well-versed in conspiracies, he used his connections from selling potions to slowly worm his way into the higher ups.

No matter what time it is, humans always underestimate the ones younger than themselves. He amassed a fortune from selling his products and solidified his position in the Clock Tower as a genius.

Hmm... weren't they considering granting him the color Purple a while ago?

Magi with special abilities valued by the Association received titles according to a color system, with the three primary colors of Red, Blue and Yellow representing the Magi with the most unique abilities. Those titles are followed by the colors Orange, Purple, Green and Black, with a lesser rank being represented by each color. There can be more than one Magus for each color.

"Creating connections with Master candidates already?" Titus stopped planning his grand scheme of taking ove-, ahem, leading the Mage's Association as Tamamo's spoke up. "The heirs of Tohsaka and Matou... what a sly man you are."

"We'll see... we'll see..."

"Praetor, you looked like one of those villains from television right now." Nero winked at him and Nobunaga gave him a thumbs-up.

"Wha-" No objections were allowed as the Servants ignored him. Nobunaga started up the car.

"Next stop, Mifune City!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:  
**

 **klim770, superpeirce: Yes, there will be! In fact, I would consider Fate/Zero as a prequel or a prologue.**

 **CM141: You have a good point there, but this was what I intended from the start. I can't fully reply to your question since it will just spoil everything. But I will certainly try my best at adding tension in the future, though it probably won't be related to the MC.**

 **The next chapter won't be out for a while since I have to start planning the details of the next arc... which I haven't started at all~ Teehee~**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	17. Hollowed Garden (Part 1)

It was on a snowy night.

A blonde young boy hummed softly as he leisurely wandered the road.

The mountain road and the brightly lit city down below were both painted in white as everywhere he turned to were in the same pigment.

A pale young girl dressed in a bright clear kimono stood at the edge of the mountain, overlooking the city. Her ink-black hair was short and her eyes were black and as vacant as the void.

"You should be home right now, young lady." The girl turned around to the smiling Titus. "It's dangerous outside at night, you know."

"You are..." Ryougi Shiki frowned. "Why is someone like you here?"

"Ah, young lady, you hurt my feelings." Titus grabbed his chest in a painful gesture. "I think you just broke my heart... ah, how will you compensate me now? Tell me your measurements? Oh wait, I already know that..."

"Why are you here?" She furrowed her brows in annoyance and repeated.

"Nothing in particular." Titus chuckled and continued his tease. "I just felt like being here and voilà! Here I am."

"I have... no idea why you are here. But I hope you won't cause any trouble." Void Shiki sighed. "I certainly do not want to see another disaster... especially in this town."

The young boy dropped his smile and glanced at the land of snow down below. "Don't worry, I don't think I will be the one to-"

He wasn't able to finish the sentence since he noticed a silhouette walking up the snowy mountain road.

His eyes could accurately see that the figure was carrying a black umbrella and looking slightly closer, it was a plain black-haired youth who was still in his teens. He had black eyes and wore back-rimmed glasses.

"Oh well, it's time to go." Titus disappeared as the space slightly distorted. "Farewell, young lady..."

His eyes had never once left a certain apartment complex during their conversation.

* * *

It has been almost a year since Titus and his Servants settled down in Mifune City.

"Since we decided to stay in this world, let's start causing chaos-, ahem, I mean let's find out whatever the humans of this era have created and not to forget to have lots of fun while we're here!" Said a certain Japanese warlord.

Thus, Titus suggested that they head to Mifune City, where many interesting events will happen in the future.

They have acquired a five-story building located at the more populated section of the city.

The building they bought was in pristine condition as it was only constructed a few months prior and the Servants who were capable of Magecraft had modified and transformed it into their base of operations.

The first floor was a café named "A Magician's Taste" and It was ran by Tamamo, Kiyohime and Circe. Titus had proposed the idea when they complained about having nothing to do. The coffee shop has been operating nicely and was quite popular with middle and high school girls.

The second floor was their office which doubled as a living room, where they gathered and play games together. A large kitchen can be found here. Under the orders of the female Servants, Titus had to run around the city, visiting different stores to collect the appliances they wanted in the kitchen.

Tamamo and Kiyohime are usually found here as they baked and tested new recipes. Circe used to helped them in cooking, but she was banned when they one day found her lying in a pile of violet mushes that pounced at anything excluding its creator.

Nobunaga came here routinely as well since most of the entertainment products she bought were placed here.

The third and fourth floor contained rooms that acted as their personal spaces. Workshops of Semiramis, Tamamo, Circe and Scáthach are located on the third floor while Medb, Nero, Nobunaga, Kiyohime and Martha's private rooms were on the fourth floor.

Questionable odor came out of Circe's workshop since her banishment from the kitchen and weird sounds could be heard from Nobunaga's "special room" from time to time.

The fifth floor contained almost 30 bedrooms, all enchanted by the Casters so that they are larger inside than what it seemed from the outside.

The building was reinforced to the point that it could survive a attacks from high-Thaumaturgy, and a bounded field was constructed with the effects that prevented any outsiders from entering beyond the first floor on their own volition.

Their surroundings were gradually modernized as newer and more stylish stores were opened. This area had steadily transformed into the center of the city, as the focal point where most young people gathered.

Retail stores, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, office buildings, sports facilities, hospitals, many structures were constructed as the residents welcomed the imminent end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century.

Though his Servants can guess who was behind the sudden rapid advancement, seeing how Titus grinned and nod every time when a new construction project began its operation.

A part of the group were frequently absent during the day as they went out to explore the creations of the modern era.

Scáthach, Semiramis, Medb and Circe had went to tour the world at the end of the previous month and hasn't returned yet. They had traveled together initially but the Queen of the Land of Shadows and the Queen of Connacht weren't able to get along with each other so they separated soon after.

The primary reason was because Medb was one who caused Scáthach' beloved pupil's death. Scáthach didn't like Medb, but she didn't hate her either, so in the end, Scáthach headed to Europe with Semiramis as Medb walked away, disregarding the purple-haired woman, with Circe following closely behind.

One might imagined that the Saint of the Waterside would leave this world since her task of purifying the Holy Grail was completed, but...

"I... I want to learn about the modern world as well!" Exclaimed the blushing saint who wore a rather revealing outfit as she chose to stay in the material world instead of returning to the Throne of Heroes.

That was why only six remained in their headquarters at the current time.

Tamamo and Kiyohime usually accompanied Titus wherever he went and they only stayed in the café when he visited the Mage's Association.

Martha devoted her time in her library as she learned history and the present world through books. Her personal room was a massive library which was accumulated by a certain Master.

Nero spent her days immersed in whatever she called "art" as she squandered Titus' earnings on whatever caught her fancy. Paintings, sculptures, and even a statue of a naked Titus, which had a debatable origin, were occasionally deposited inside her private room.

The Roman emperor has recently discovered a magical thing known as a personal computer and has been trying to create arts using a software called Minisoft Paint.

As for Nobunaga... the young girl had cooped up inside her room ever since the vast amount of chemicals and mechanical parts she ordered had arrived. Muffled blasts came from her rooms at times and the room would've definitely disappeared from the face of earth by now if not for the additional reinforcement Circe had added.

 _...Boom!_

"...NOBUNAGA!" Titus smiled wryly at Tamamo's high-pitched scream.

* * *

 _Tack. Tack. Tack._

A cool breeze blew by as a young girl in blue kimono trod through the silent street.

Three years had passed since she met Kokutou Mikiya on that snowy night and it was now 1998.

Shiki had been hospitalized for the past two years after failing to kill Mikiya. She had been hit by a car when her male and female personality clashed against each other, unable to accept both her love and homicidal urge towards Mikiya.

The person known as Ryougi Shiki had three personalities.

Her feminine personality, Shiki, was cold, mean, heartless, and merciless, appearing to care about nothing while her masculine side, SHIKI, was the personality that controlled the aspect of denial and negativity as well as her destructive impulses. The two different personalities also knew each other's existences.

Meanwhile, Shiki secretly possessed a third personality that existed in between the gap of the other two.「Shiki Ryougi」or Void Shiki, was the will of the body that manifested as a personality of its own, and was directly connected the Root.

That is right. Ryougi Shiki was connected to the Akashic Records, making her capable to rewriting reality and altering the world as she desired.

However, as she became able to see every event recorded in the Root. She decided everything to be uninteresting and meaningless and created the perfectly split personalities of Shiki and SHIKI.

Her male personality had disappeared when she was hit by the car, causing her attempt at suicide to fail. She went into a coma for two years and only woke up recently.

Shiki have 'graduated' high school roughly three months ago, and she began working for a woman called Aozaki Touko.

Touko was a Magus who posed as her speech instructor during her recuperation in the hospital. The woman had offered to teach her how to control the supernatural eyes she had acquired during two-year coma which left her in contact with the Root for a prolonged period of time.

The Mystic Eyes of Death Perception allowed her to see the lines of death that existed in every non-living and living beings. A cut along any line will bifurcate the object, no matter the sharpness of the cutting tool used, and certain lines would result in instant death for the target.

She initially refused Touko's offer, fearing the power of her eyes, however, she ended up agreeing when being reminded of SHIKI's sacrifice.

She now worked alongside Mikiya at Garan no Dou, a contract-based agency ran by the female Magus. The majority of the jobs involved Touko's puppet-making, but they also took on cases with supernatural or abnormal elements and, if Touko was interested, all sorts of jobs were accepted such as... anime production.

 _Sigh_

Shiki reached her destination, Garan no Dou. It appeared to be an abandoned building, and it really was an abandoned building.

Touko purchased this building which was abandoned mid-construction and insisted on calling it her office. The first floor was just ruins. The second and third floors were where Touko worked and the fourth floor was the office.

"Good morning, young lady." A young man suddenly came out as Shiki was about to open the door, he smiled and walked down the stairs before she could reply.

Shiki moved into the office, coming face to face with her employer. Aozaki Touko was a curvaceous woman in her late twenties. She wore glasses and was dressed in the standard office outfit consisting of a buttoned-down white shirt and dark trousers.

Her red hair went well with her red eyes, however, her beauty was currently ruined by the vexed expression on her face.

"Ahh, my money!" Touko looked very upset as she knocked a pile of documents off her desk. "Damned Alchemist!"

"What happened?" Shiki leaned against the wall and disregarded the redhead's outburst. "And who was that guy? He looked European."

"That was Mister Alric." Mikiya, who was also present, smiled wryly. "He came from Britain."

"Ahhh, Alchemists sure make a lot of money." Touko sat down, tired. "I should have studied Alchemy instead...!"

"Oh? That man was an Alchemist? It's my first time meeting one." Shiki raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Me too." Mikiya said as he picked up the fallen documents, placing them back on Touko's desk. "I don't know the exact details, but I think Touko-san bought something from him and she's now broke."

"And yet I told you not to spend your money on strange things, Touko-san." Mikiya sighed. "You are such a spendthrift. At this rate, you'll go bankrupt sooner or later."

"I didn't buy something strange this time!" The puppet maker slammed her hand on the table, indiscreetly admitting that she liked to buy unusual items. "See this!"

She took out a gilded wooden box slowly, holding it as if it was the most important object in the world. She then casted a spell, causing the lock to glow before she inserted a key into it.

"Why are you so meticulous?" Shiki exclaimed and Mikiya nodded in agreement. Was the thing inside that box so precious that she was was handling it as if it was her own baby?

Touko ignored the pair and turned the key. With a clinking sound, the box... did not open. However, she was unfazed by it even though her employees were already staring at her and the box incredulously.

She activated her Magic Circuits and the box responded by sucking in a portion of her Od.

Od should not be confused with Mana.

Prana, or magical energy, is the capacity to actualize Mysteries, a series of supernatural phenomena. The harness of this energy is the fundamental basis of all Magecraft, and it is comparable to that of gasoline.

Prana is divided into two types: Mana, the life force of the planet that exists in the atmosphere. It is produced by the World itself. Though Mana is usually found in great quantities, it takes a long time to replenish once it is used up. It is the primary source of energy for Nature Spirits.

Od is the life-force energy found within living organisms such as humans and animals. Once depleted, the Magic Circuits that are stored in the human soul will begin to replenish it. Od is produced as long as one lives, but the amount a person can store varies from individual to individual.

The difference between Mana and Od is their abundance. Mana can be found almost anywhere and in great quantities, thus it is called the Greater Source by the Magi. As Od is the energy inside humans and animals, it is much smaller in amount and is called the Lesser Source.

Strictly speaking, Mana and Od are energy in its raw state, whereas Prana is the name given to the energy once it is converted by the Magic Circuits. Mana can be taken in accordingly with the capacities of the Magic Circuits, but the actual conversion process will take time.

It is common practice among the magi to start up their spells with Od and then keep them running with Mana. Only small-scale spells that do not interact with the environment directly are performed entirely with Od, an example of which would be Reinforcement.

That is why it could be said that each Magi's Od are unique, hence many magical artifacts, which are known as Mystic Codes, only answered to a specific Od signature.

A second clinking resounded and Touko's emotion made three hundred and sixty degree turn as she smiled gleefully. The wooden box opened and what lied inside was a simple-looking glass bottle filled with bright red liquid.

Shiki whistled at the fancy purple fabric that blanketed the bottle. She could tell that the cloth was very expensive since even her kimono are made from lower-graded ones even though she was the heir of a wealthy family.

Now that you mention it, the gold that acted as the box's decoration seemed to be the real thing as well. In fact, excluding the bottle, everything else looked incredibly luxurious.

However, the female Magus grabbed the bottle the moment the box opened. The expensive container was tossed to the side like how she would throw away trash.

"This is it!" Touko kissed the bottle, earning a disgusted look from Shiki. "The potion of Alric von Leiqritus!"

* * *

 **Knowledge of Magic**

 **Personal Skill: Rank -**

 **The skill that represents all the knowledge on Magecraft and Magic the Servant had learned over the course of his life.**

 **It does not grant any effect as it** **is merely an indicator of the Servant's accomplishment in his search for the truth.**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Here comes the Kara no Kyoukai Arc!**

 **I finished this chapter faster than I expected :O**

 **You might be slightly confused by the timeskips if you have never seen the series, however,** **I definitely recommend it since it's really good!**

 **Stratos263: It will be revealed slowly~**

 **klim770: It's a secret to everybody~**

 **gundam 09: Thank you!**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	18. Hollowed Garden (Part 2)

"Heh?" Mikiya spit out the coffee he was drinking.

"Potion?" Shiki facepalmed. "And who is this Alric guy?"

"Ah. I should have explained it better." Touko realized her mistake as an imaginary light bulb appeared above her head.

"Let's see..." The puppet maker scoured through her desk, looking for the anything related to Alric.

"Stop! Touko-san!" The youth stared wide-eyed at the mess his employer was making. "I just tidied it up too..."

"Found it!" Touko ignored her most diligent employee's wail and flipped open a dirtied file.

"Alric von Leiqritus, a noble from Germany and a prominent member of the Mage's Association. Enrolled into the Clock Tower at 17 and earned the color Purple the very next year. He is a master of Potion Making, which is an abandoned branch of Alchemy. His creations are valued highly by the Magi and he received the title of Grand at 20..." Touko raised her eyebrows slightly at the last part.

Though she was a little surprised, she herself was also a Grand Rank Mage, not to mention that she had received the primary color of Red. However, she expected him to be a Brand, which was one rank lower, since Grand was rare even in the entire history of the Clock Tower.

Realistically speaking, the top rank a Mage could get was Brand as even the majority of the Lords ended up staying at that rank. The ones who made it into the highest rank were incredibly rare since the talent required to reach it was insane.

"Potion making... I do not know much about it." Touko stared at the glass bottle in her hand. The red liquid shimmered from time to time. "But if its effect is as miraculous as what I have heard, then it's entirely possible for him to receive those titles."

"...Touko-san!"

"Y-Yes?" The female Magus was snapped out of her thoughts when her supposed favorite employee shouted near her ears.

"You went into your own world again." Mikiya sighed. The disordered state of table was gone since he had organized it during Touko's daydream.

"I am sorry, okay?" She clapped hand together in a gesture of apology. "Now where was I?"

"Something about Grand and Brand." Shiki was the one who answered. "I don't know or care about those fancy titles so you don't have to tell us what they mean. But I'm interested in Alchemy and his specialty."

"Alchemy, huh?" Touko took a sip from her already cooled coffee. "I specialize in puppet making and runes so I'm not particularly knowledgeable of Alchemy. But I can give you a run down on its basics."

"Alchemy is a school of Magecraft that aims at the study and manipulation of the flow of matter. The creation and refinement of substances, Transmutation, Memory partitioning, Thought acceleration, structural manipulation and transformation of matter are examples of Alchemy."

"Also, Material Transmutation and Transmutation are usually mixed up since they sound the same. However, they are very different. Material Transmutation interferes with the properties of an object while Transmutation manipulates the configuration of matters."

"Examples of Material Transmutation would be giving an object a property or effect that it originally didn't have or when you push an object's basis to the utmost limit." Touko took another sip from her coffee.

"As for Transmutation... an easy example would be simply transforming the shape of a metal or just straight up changing its state of matter."

"I... do not understand most of the things you just said, Touko-san." Mikiya smiled wryly.

"Don't use Magi terms and speak human." Shiki had a blank expression.

"I explained it as simple as I can and I'm not even an Alchemist." The redhead shook her head and sighed. "I guess that's why they said that Magi turn their back against the world."

"All right, let's just get on the topic of Potion Making." Touko pointed her finger to her chin in a thinking gesture. "Actually... I don't know anything about it! Heehee~"

Mikiya stumbled and almost spit out his newly-refilled coffee.

"What do you mean you don't know anything about it?" Shiki said, incredibly annoyed.

"Well, you would usually thinking of Cursing Techniques when potions are mentioned..." Shiki gestured for her to continue. "But those are practices you would expect from those traditional witches, shamans and druids."

"When I say traditional, I mean those really old-fashioned people who still wear pointy hats, cover themselves in leaves and mud, have necklaces made of animal skulls and uses cauldrons." Touko nodded in gratitude as Mikiya refilled her cup. "But Alric isn't one of those, uh... individualistic people."

"I don't know the specifics but I at least know that the genius Alchemist doesn't wear grass skirts and does weird ritualistic dances." Touko's coughed seeing that the black-haired boy was not paying attention. "Okay, let's get on the main topic of why I bought this potion."

"So you're self-conscious of it." Mikiya spoke up louder than he did before.

"Don't interrupt me." Touko threw the files at the boy and breathed deeply. "His potions are special since their effects are untypically amazing."

"Amazing? How amazing?" Shiki smirked. "Does it cure cancer or something?"

"No, no it does not. Well, at least not of the ones I am aware of." The puppet maker grumbled at how her employees were showing no respect to their boss. "But they are very magical."

"This here." Touko moved the potion to eye-level and looked through the transparent glass. "Can regenerate flesh, bones, and even scars someone received ages ago in seconds."

"Hooh." Shiki was impressed.

Something like that could be a trump card for a warrior. Just imagine how devastating it will be when your opponent drinks this potion after a long fight with both of you heavily wounded. It would heal all the damages you have done to them, returning your efforts to zero.

"That is why I purchased it with all my earnings from last month, including the money I secretly stashed away." Touka shook the bottle.

"Wait a minute!" Mikiya stood up. "What do you mean you spent all the money?! I saw over ten million in your bank account last time, don't tell me-"

"I spent it all on this potion, teehee~" The redhead hit her head in a cute gesture.

"Don't teehee at me, it's disgusting when a grown woman like you do that." Mikiya stared at her coldly, however, he suddenly opened his mouth wide in shock. "Then... then what about this month's salary?"

"As you can see, I don't have a single penny on me." Touko retrieved the wooden box and put the potion back inside. "Don't get so mad, I am quite lucky to find this on sale. Researching this will definitely improve my skills in Magecraft and I can even find inspirations that will help me create better puppets."

"So, what?" His face was pale as if he was going to faint. "I'm seriously not getting my pay this month? And what is that secret stash thing?"

"Right." Touko locked the box and put it on the desk. "Each employee is to obtain money themselves. As for the secret stash... it's a secret."

"You bet I will." Mikiya turned around irritatedly.

"Oh, Kokutou." Touko stopped him before he could leave.

"What is it, Touko-san?" He turned around happily, believing that his employer was merely joking previously.

"...Could you lend me some money?" Touko replied in a tone as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "As you can see, I'm broke."

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "I absolutely refuse!"

 _Thud._

Mikiya's steps were heavy as his defeated back left the agency.

"Geez. People get petty when they run out of money." The redhead lit up a cigarrete.

"Touko, you remember the job you mentioned previously?"

"Oh, right. About that..."

* * *

A Magician's Taste was a coffee shop located at the most modern section of Mifune City. The shop gave off a feeling that will ease one's mind as the floor, walls and various antiques were decorated in German style.

The usual menu consisted of coffee, which was served hotter than normal, drinks such as black tea, and all kinds of deserts and snacks. There were various hand-made pies by Tamamo and Kiyohime, which were popular among regular customers.

The menu included strawberry pie, raspberry torte, specially made cheese cake, meat pie, orange pie, mixed pie of orange and sunflowers, clubhouse sandwich, pork curry, salad of summer vegetables, pasta with mushrooms, fish and chips, grapefruit, Valencia oranges, lemon tea, cold chocolate milk, ice tea, eucalyptus tea, earl grey tea, green tea, red wine and... kykeon, which no one had bought since forever.

"I guess that sarcasm-drenched superintendent really doesn't like students going out at night." Two young girls were seated at one of the tables. "So I told her: Their grades might just improve if the other kids started going out at night like Fujino and me since we have the best grades."

"Fujino? Are you nervous?" The one who was speaking was Kokutou Azaka, a cheerful girl with long black hair and blue eyes. "You don't have to worry. From your words, the person you admired seemed like a harmless person who couldn't even harm a fly."

 _Riiinng_

"Um." The second girl, Asagami Fujino, had violet hair and red eyes. She was in her late teens, similar to the previous girl. She seemed to have a mild and passive personality.

 _Step step step_

"Good afternoon."

Azaka turned around, meeting a smiling Alric. "Are you Mis-"

"Mister Alric!" Fujino's timid temper vanished immediately as she stood up in excitement.

"Ah!" Fujino blushed in embarrassment. "G-Good afternoon, Mister Alric."

"Good day, Mister Alric." Azaka smiled as she joined in. "Please have a seat."

The two young girls were dressed in their school uniform which looked like a cassock as they were from Reien Girl's Academy, a private prestigious girls school located in the suburbs of Misaki Town.

The two girls had to travel all over from another city to here which was a difficult task in itself since the academy rarely allowed students to go outside. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Fujino was allowed to enter the city twice a month due to periodic medical appointments.

Azaka had accompanied her friend since she wanted to meet her brother, Kokutou Mikiya, who she hasn't seen in 5 years. She followed her friend instead of visiting her brother straightaway because she was curious of this "savior" Fujino always mentioned.

Apparently, a "gentleman" saved her from a local gang during her routine check-up half a year ago. She spoke of how valiant he was when he defended her from a group of thugs as he defeated them with bare hands and without taking a single hit from them either.

After the fight, he invited her to this coffee shop and introduced himself as Alric von Leiqritus, a German who lived in Britain. He was a doctor who worked for a big company and he was dispatched to Japan as their representative from time to time.

Impressed, Fujino told him that she had been unwell since she was a child and he offered to inspect her with a simple physical examination. It was at this point that Azaka became doubtful. What if this so called "gentleman" was just a pervert who wanted to take advantage of her innocent classmate?

Fortunately, the man was the real thing. He didn't do anything dubious and instead discovered the illness that had been plaguing her. The girl was given over-dosage of medication, causing her to become insensitive to pain. In addition, there was something even more significant than the previous case.

Terminal case of appendicitis.

Usually, an easily-found disease like appendicitis would be diagnosed and removed quickly through surgery. But the problem was that Fujino couldn't feel any pain, so she didn't know that she had appendicitis.

Alric quickly brought Fujino to a hospital after finding out that she should be in extreme pain but couldn't feel it. A surgery was quickly performed and the violet-haired girl was released from the disease. However, she was still insensitive to pain, causing the timid girl to break down to tears.

As luck would have it, the blonde-haired man told her that he knew a cure for her insensitivity. He agreed to bring her its remedy, though he had to make a trip to Britain and could only meet her half a year later, which was exactly now.

"Long time no see, Miss Fujino and..." Alric took his seat.

"Azaka." The cheerful girl handed the menu to him. "Kokutou Azaka."

* * *

"Moving shadows?"

"Yes." Cigarette smoke filled the small office room as Touko exhaled. "The shadow twisted and flickered as if something was in there, or perhaps it was the shadow itself that was moving."

"It attacked random passerby in the alleys and five people had fell victim to it so far." Touko picked up a folder and threw it at Shiki. "At least that's what the reports said."

"Is it caused by a Magus or a Psychic?" Shiki caught the files and skimmed through it. "And it only moves at night?"

A Psychic refers to one who was born with a mutation, an Abnormal Ability gained as a result of the brain being able to comprehend a channel not native to humans. Although similar in nature, it is not Magecraft but a different type of Mystery.

Psychic Power or Extrasensory Perception are used by Psychics. They are the catch-all term to refer to the circuits that cause supernatural phenomena to occur. It is a form of nature interference that to the Psychic comes as naturally as breathing. Unlike Magecraft, which can be taught and practiced, inherent ability is an absolute necessity.

"I can't tell." Touko furrowed her eyebrows in contemplation. "But it is definitely supernatural seeing that the police had yet discovered any clues after searching the whole city."

"So... why don't you just go check it out. Pretty please?" Touko smiled at Shiki, who gave her an annoyed look in turn. "I'm kind of running low on money at the moment... if I lose this job, I won't be able to survive through the month...!"

"Fine, fine. I got it." Shiki sighed and headed towards to door after dropping the report on the coffee table. "I'll check it out tonight."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Here's another chapter.**

 **I thought of following the plot of Remaining Sense of Pain but I felt really bad for Fujino since she suffered a lot more compared to the other antagonists. While others have murdered innocent people, she only killed one after the five thugs. She was even full of regrets when she encountered Ririsu in Future Gospel - Extra Chorus.**

 **Merlin Pranks101: I didn't let him use Bucephalus since I was thinking of how Rider might accidently reveal his Reality Marble. People would have become cautious if he suddenly summoned another mount after the first was destroyed and would think that he could summon more.**

 **KRKing: It is just Nasuverse. As for the Fifth Holy Grail War... it's a secret ;3**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	19. Hollowed Garden (Part 3)

_The brilliant sunset lit up the orange sky as the young girl shielded me from its glaring brightness._

 _I held my breath as her stunning red hair glowed_ _dazzlingly_ _, brightening up the world surrounding us._

 _However, the cheerful young girl was no longer acting like her usual self._

 _In her hand held a demonic great sword while her own blood stained her clothes in crimson._

 _My eyes widened as a enormous carnivorous plant came into view._

 _The towering monster was thousands of meters long, and most of it were hidden inside the sea of clouds._

 _The young girl sprinted forward, towards an army of green monsters._

 _Billions of angels encircled us, not virtuous nor benevolent, but fallen ones that only knew savagery._

 _I chanted frantically, hoping and demanding for a miracle, begging the gods and heavens to allow one more to be saved._

 _She cut through the legion of plants and the blackened angels as scarlet blood decorated her dance of death._

 _But alas, it was one against an army, not an army of human, but one made up of powerful beasts._

 _The slaughter continued, as her stamina slowly dwindled, and steadily overwhelmed by the endless horde._

 _I exclaimed in shock, seeing the young girl pierced by a vine._

 _I shouted in panic, seeing her body hung in the air._

 _I yelled in warning, seeing countless more vines heading towards her._

 _I wailed in horror, seeing her body impaled by their thorns._

 _I howled in despair, seeing a radiant flash engulfing the entire land, in a spectrum of light._

 _I smiled in resignation, seeing the figure standing before me, as the pillar of light disappeared._

 _"...%#%^#*..."_ _The young girl's visage glimmered in the sunset, as her beauty was not tainted by the onslaught of enemies._

 _She beamed wholeheartedly as tears flowed down her eyes, uttering the sincere words that would become her last._ _"...Thank you..."_

 _So for the first time in thousands of years,_ _holding her motionless body,_ _I cried._

 _"All this strength... and I couldn't even save a single young girl...!"_

 _'...Just what have I... been doing this whole time...?'_

 _I remembered, t_ _hat darkened world where lives were treated as wastes..._

 _'Have I achieved anything from chasing after those beliefs...?'_

 _T_ _he moment I laid my hand on that coiled sword, I knew I had to suffer for an eternity, and yet I..._

 _'Was I wrong... the entire time?'_

 _I recalled, the lifeless forms of those village girls who were treated as witches..._

 _A hollowed laughter echoed across the wasteland._

 _"What hero... what hero am I... when I can't even give her an ordinary life...?!"_

 _I wept as I looked back at the scene of my last friend, pierced through by countless vines..._

 _Billions of angels surrounded the demented man as a fish bearing an enormous tree on its back dived down from the sky._

 _"...Answer me..." A sphere completely made out of divine words and unknown languages surrounded the man. "...Answer me... you monster...!"_

 _On that day, history was rewritten as_ _the stars fell down onto the earth, wiping out both the planet and its intruders._

...

"That was... what was that..."

Nobunaga woke up.

The Demon Archer breathed in deeply. She turned her head around and inspected her surroundings.

Mangas, comics, half-finished snacks and various strange articles were on the tatami floor... it was her bedroom in Mifune City.

"Again..." She touched the droplets of tears that threatened to fall down her face. "Why do you always show me these kinds of dreams?"

"...You big idiot."

* * *

"My, what a coincidence." A bewitching voice came from behind him as Alric stepped through the hallways of the Clock Tower.

He sighed inwardly and turned around, coming face to face with a young woman who was in her late teens.

"Good day, Lord Leiqritus."

She was wearing glasses. Her long hair was black as midnight, and stretched down to her ankles. Decorating the woman's figure was a strange looking, long sleeved, vibrantly flower-patterned garment.

It was a kimono.

"It is my fortune to meet the genius potion maker." Adashino Hishiri, the one who had stopped him, smiled lightly.

"A nice day, isn't it?" Alric smiled back, though he was cursing deep down at running into her. _'What luck?'_

The woman was beautiful. Her mysterious, oriental appearance would no doubt stir up interest from people of both genders. Her ornate garb, like brilliantly coloured, layered origami, seemed to hide an even deeper feminine sweetness.

However, he disliked her.

The Magus in front of him was from the Faculty of Law. The woman might seem friendly but she was actually similar to a snake, elegant and ever-calculating.

It was tiring when he had to deal with manipulative people like her, even if she was still immature and inexperienced... though he did find it amusing when she tried too hard occasionally.

"It has been a few months since we last met each other." Hishiri continued, not knowing of his inner thoughts. "Why don't we have tea together?"

"I am sorry, Miss Adashino, but I have an important meeting with one of the honorable lords." He brought out a silver pocket watch and opened it.

"Perhaps another day then?" She was stubborn. "...My family have sent me some great commodities recently and I'd like you to try them out as well."

"I'll pay you a visit when I am available. As you can see, I have been very busy since my engagement." He tapped the pocket watch. "I'll have to go now. Farewell, Miss Adashino."

"I'll be waiting patiently for your invitation, Lord Leiqritus." Hishiri bowed gracefully as Alric walked away.

...

The Clock Tower.

It is the current headquarters and main branch of the Mage's Association. The departments that composed it as well as the workshops of its members, which are mainly underground facilities, are located in London's British Museum

However, some affiliated buildings and institutions are known to be located elsewhere. An example of those would be the city of Norwich. It was named the city of Modern Magecraft after the Department of Modern Magecraft bought up the entire street of Slur and built its headquarters there.

Even the Department of General Fundamentals, which the majority of the Magi studied in for about 5 years, masqueraded itself as a real university.

From the outside, Clock Tower appears to be an appealing and welcoming place, but the truth is not so bright. Actually, the inner workings of the place are ruled by the power struggles between several factions of Magi.

The Clock Tower is currently under the control of a pseudo-aristocratic elite called the Lords. Each Lord holds great political power within the Association just by himself, and there is also those who associate themselves to other talented Magi or an important Magi lineage in a sponsor-sponsored relationship so to increase their influence.

Maybe due this elitist background, preconceived and discriminatory behavior is somewhat widespread inside Clock Tower. Rune and Witchcraft Thaumaturgy are not very popular in the main branch, the latter not being taught as an academia at all.

The Enforcers are looked down upon by the upper ranks. Discrimination against Asians is common, which might be a factor on why so few of them are members of the Association.

Admission of new members also involves exams to test one's knowledge of Magecraft, but it is possible to bypass this through letters of recommendation or if one is the successor of a distinct lineage of Magi.

Said "outstanding" individuals receive special treatment such as individual rooms in the dormitory or the right to bring along a couple of apprentices. The apprentices won't have to pay for enrollment or go through the examinations themselves, but they won't be seen as members of the Association either.

The Clock Tower has three major factions: Barthomeloi - the Aristocrat faction, Trambelio - the Democracy faction, and Meluastea - the Neutral faction.

The city is divided based on faculty and department. The architecture varied depending on the district. The Mage's Association divided mysticism into 12 departments. In other words, this city reflected the specialties of each faculty.

The Twelve Faculties were ruled by the Twelve Lords. The majority of the Magi studied General Fundamentals and then enter the Faculty that was associated with the lineage.

Magi might also enroll in other Faculties as associates to help further his studies in his own Faculty. Also, there was great unity within each dormitory. If an outsider stepped into the college, it was not uncommon for interpersonal conflicts to evolve into inter-college wars.

This is a bit of a digression, but there is a distinction between what are called the big and small Lords of the Clock Tower. The big sense, referring to the Twelve Lords, probably doesn't need explaining anymore.

There was also the small sense, however, referred to as the Nobles Lord, most of whom belonged to the Three Great Families. Of course, the second sense was an entirely unofficial one. Alric von Leiqritus is an example of a Noble Lord.

The twelve departments of mysticism include: General Fundamentals, Individual Fundamentals, Spiritual Evocation, Mineralogy, Zoology, Anthropology, Botany, Celestial Body, Creation, Curse, Archaeology, and Modern Magecraft.

Although there is a thirteenth department, known as Policies, or the Faculty of Law. It was open to those who wish to pursue politics as it was a social science rather than a discipline in the pursue to mysticism. As a result, it was not included in the Twelve Faculties.

...

 _Knock knock_

"Come in." Following the voice, Alric entered into the room.

There were two people inside. The first one was a man in his early thirties with long loose hair. He wore a red coat with golden ornamentations on its shoulders, and his face bore a tremendously sour expression.

His name was Waver Velvet, the young boy who once participated in the Fourth Holy Grail War and acted as the Master of Rider. Despite his elderly appearance, he was only twenty-three this year.

"It's been a while." Alric greeted the man. "Lord El-Melloi II."

That was right. Waver Velvet, a Magus with poor lineage who had circuit count and crest quality of the lowest standard as well as a hopelessly average skill, became a Lord. Not to mention that he was not merely a Noble Lord, but one of the Twelve Lords who administered the Clock Tower, he was the head of the Department of Modern Magecraft.

"You don't have to be so formal to someone like him, Lord Alric." An elegant yet immature voice spoke up from the sofas.

The second occupant was a young girl who was approximately ten years old. She had brilliant blonde hair, pale white skin reminiscent of a bisque doll, and both clothes and grace that were similarly picturesque.

Waver scrunched his face at her words. He knew that the young girl had zero respect for him, but he would prefer her to at least behave politely in front of a high-ranking person like Alric.

 _'Well, it should be fine since they are engaged...'_

The young girl was Reines El-Melloi Archisorte, the current head of the El-Melloi faction after the death of Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald.

With the death of Kayneth in the Fourth Holy Grail War, there was a conflict on the succession of the El-Melloi faction. Thus assets such as talents, lands, and Mystic Codes, that were all amassed under the name of El-Melloi and had been passed down since antiquity, were all stolen away by rivals and branch families of the Archibald lineage.

As a result, the only things left over for the main family were the title of El-Melloi, and a debt of astronomical proportions when Reines was selected as the head of the El-Melloi faction.

A year ago, Reines had abducted and threatened Waver, accusing him as the one who caused Kayneth's downfall.

He was merely a third year lecturer at that time, fearing that his death would go against the promise he swore to his king, he had agreed to the absurd conditions proposed by the head of the El-Mellois, surprising the young girl.

Her first condition was for him to pay back the astronomical debt of the El-Melloi faction. And the second was for him to repair the El-Melloi family Source Crest, which was recovered after being damage by a certain white-haired man in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

The third was for him to protect the title of Lord and to deal with the other Lords until Reines was old enough to succeed it. And lastly, he was to work as her personal tutor since him giving her private tutelage would tell others that they were on the same boat.

Thus, began the loving relationship between a brother and sister...

"Please have a seat." Reines chirped.

The room they were in was Waver's office and it was embellished with the bare necessities seeing that his main place of work was at the Norwich branch.

Its size and decoration befitted his status as the head of Modern Magecraft, with bookshelves lining up against the sidewall, two fancy sofas were placed in the center and his vintage wooden table was at the back of the room.

Alric sat down across Waver and Reines moved to sit beside him.

The young girl had always admired the man she was engaged to. Although she appreciated it, she didn't like him for his dignified appearance or amiable personality, but she loved him for his tremendous wealth and once-in-a-century talent.

Her family was in great peril and the one they recognized to have the highest chance to help restore or even help their family flourish, was Alric von Leiqritus. Their family, El-Melloi and Leiqritus, were also in similar position as declining nobles.

Seeing that they would both solely relied on the same young man, Reines went to Alric and offered her hand in marriage.

It would normally be problematic when a girl who hasn't even reached puberty gets betrothed to a man who was twice her age. However, they were Magi, people who turned their back against the world in order to practice their craft.

They would do the most heinous acts just to improve the quantity and quality of their Magic Circuits, so not a single voice of protest were heard regarding their age. Though it was a surprise how Alric had agreed to Reines' request without adding any conditions for her family to uphold, since his status was considerable superior to hers.

Of course, the Leiqritus were not happy to abide by the contract, but they also couldn't go against it since it was the decision of their favorite child. In fact, any opinion he gave inside the family was treated as the most important thing as the members would all run around completing it like their backs were on fire.

Thus, the two got engaged and here they are.

 _'I guess I would also be elevated to above the heavens when I'm married to a Grand Rank Mage.'_ Waver sighed internally, seeing how the usual high and mighty Reines acting like an obedient wife.

He himself was merely a fourth rank, a Fes, and he only received the rank due to special circumstances. To keep it short, rather than being given to him for an assessment as a Magus as was normal, it was an honorary title presented to him for his particular skills and achievements.

"Thank you for accepting my invitations, Lord Leiqritus." Reines quietened down at Waver's formal tone. "Let's get into business."

"How direct, but I like it." Alric patted the young girl's head and smiled.

"As you can see, I have invited your fiancé here too since the topic is quite sensitive."

"Oh?" The Noble Lord detected that the former Master of Rider had activated a Bounded Field, which had the effects of preventing any sound from escaping the room.

"I believed you must have run into one of the students from the Faculty of Law on your way here."

"I did." He could already guess what was going on "It was Miss Adashinoi."

"As expected, they sure move fast..." Waver rubbed his chin. "Lord Leiqritus, they have been prodding us for the past few months. It's about your current affiliation."

"Your position in the Clock Tower has been quite... ambiguous." Waver took out a cigar, but returned it in his coat immediately upon seeing Reines' death glare. "My Lord, both you and your fiancé' family belonged to the Barthomeloi faction, but you've never taken sides even once."

"People have speculated that you are a Meluastea, as you have a good relationship with the families from all three factions..." Oh how he wished that he could have a pipe of his sweet cigar right now... "They are getting impatient, the Barthomeloi, that is."

The Barthomeloi family had absolute control over the Faculty of Law, no, it should be easier to say that they were the Faculty of Law. They were restless and wanted to pull Alric to their side since he was a high-ranking Grand.

The problem was that the Noble Lord was always unclear with his associations, not to mention that he had been sending potions as presents to various department periodically.

"As of now, I am..." Alric smiled and waited half a minute before he replied, it was not sure if he was teasing this old acquaintance of his or not.

"Neutral."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I wanted to add Trimmau, but got too lazy. Teehee~**

 **I apologize for the info dump but they are necessary for future chapters.**

 **superpierce: I have never read it.**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	20. Hollowed Garden (Part 4)

I play with my hair as I watch darkness steadily encompasses the area surrounding me. I usually dislike eerie atmospheres, but I feel at home in this moment.

Even though it's actually quite shallow, the dimness makes the river in front of me looks gloomy with its depth unknown. That rusty old bridge beside it also gives off a spine-chilling vibe.

It has already been four years since we settled down in Mifune City. I can feel a smile form as I reminisces the great memories I have made with the girls for the past few years.

My life have been amazing since we moved to this city.

I get to flirt with darling frequently, my heart feels warm whenever a customer complement my cooking skills. Those western clothes we bought at the mall are also fresh and cute...

Oh! That plushy doll Semiramis gave me when she returned from Europe had became my favorite sleeping partner, it's very soft and squishy. Hmm, perhaps I can make a similar one for darling? It'll be a pair... and we'll be a pair... hehehehehehe.

There's also Nero... that girl, why does she hole herself up inside her room for that long? I don't get art at all... at this rate, she will turn into Nobu the Second. Even someone like Circe doesn't stay in her room twenty four hours a week like those two.

Darling also likes to go out a lot... I wonder why won't he stay with us longer? He told me to be more independent, but aren't we married? Right...? Hmhmm... Next time, I will wear those things they call bikinis and show him how charming I am!

Ah... B-But what if it backfires? Darling might think that I am a loose woman for showing so much skin... No matter what, I will beat that fox woman at gaining darling's favor! Hehehe, he will become mine before the next war starts...

...Thinking about it, what about my wish? Do I still hate lies like I used to do? Back then, we all knew that our wish could not be granted when we decided to help him, but if I am given a choice, will I still wish for the same thing?

 _"Kiyohime."_ His sound resurfaces in my mind once again.

 _"Do not abhor lies."_ On that day, his sincere words were imprinted deeply inside me. I still clearly remember how he confronted me when I didn't want to give up on my past.

I was pretty foolish... the former me, that is. She just couldn't forget the man who betrayed her, drunken in her own quest for revenge, believing that her summoner was actually him.

 _"_ _Honesty isn't and can never be absolute as f_ _alsehood help people grow. They teach them pain while they led them through their life. Lies can create hope, since untruthfulness had always been one of the foundations of humanity."_

 _"A man once said that where there is light, there must be shadow. Where there is shadow, there must be light. There is no shadow without light and no light without shadow."_

 _"It is the same for honesty and dishonesty, they exist as different sides of the same coin. You should not abandon lies, but you should not embrace it either, you only have to follow your own ideals and step forward believing in yourself."_

Do not hate them? Even till this day, I do not understand what it really means... why did you tell me those words when you are the one that is full of lies. Do you not know that I saw you turn your back against yourself repeatedly throughout your whole life? Even after all that, you still dared to say those words to me...

You're really a pathetic man, aren't you.

Master.

"There you are!"

...This irritating sultry voice! I can already tell that the voice's owner is a certain pink-haired kitsune. Sigh, there goes my rare and precious somber moment.

"What are you doing, sitting here." Tamamo swings her hand around. She is cheerful as always... the kitsune is certainly the woman who will never fail at annoying me, one way or another. "Didn't we promise to make a new recipe together?"

"You mean that blueberry pie? Isn't it supposed to be for tomorrow?" I can already tell that she got the time wrong... this idiot.

"Ah!" Yup, that's it, look at that stupid face. Oh no, my laughter almost leaked.

"I totally got it wrong!" ...Though she recovered very quickly. "Sorry~"

"What are you doing here anyway? Geh, this place looks so depressing-"

Tamamo doesn't answer me when I look at her questioningly. Ah, why do you-

Beautiful.

The dreary riverbank is filled with small specks of light. The fireflies dance around the greenery as if the hope of humanity lies with them. The group then fly across the grass field, showing me the stunning scene of nature that shouldn't exist inside an urban city.

It was truly beautiful.

I never expected for something like this to happen at a place where nature can barely support itself. The luminous show lasted for merely a few minutes, however, this sight will forever be kept inside my memories, as another piece of happiness I seen in the modern era.

"Kiyo." Tamamo stands up and stare at the river.

"Hm?"

"What do you think of the modern world?"

"What's with the sudden question?" I furrow my brows and look at her doubtfully. Why did she ask such a weird question?

"Just answer the question, will you?"

"Alright..." What do I like about the present time? Quite a lot, actually. But how should I answer this...

"...I am satisfied, I guess?"

"Satisfied? Care to elaborate?"

"Um. I do not care that much regarding the world, but I am glad to be able to meet you girls and darling. I am afraid of what I might have become if I was never summoned here."

"So that's it, huh?"

"Wha, What do you mean by that!" Really! She's definitely trying to mess with me!

"I mean... you looked dejected when I saw you from afar. I just thought that you were not content with your current condition."

"..."

"Will you tell me why were you so glum then?"

"It's just that..."

"Just that?"

"I'm conflicted... Tamamo, what does love mean to you? The feelings I have towards Master, I-I don't know if it's genuine love or only plain admiration..."

Can I really protect Master from harm? I, who was merely a hideous beast in human form.

"The emotions I felt are not fake, but the only time I ever experienced love was with Lord Anchin... and he ran away from my love. I'm scared, scared of how my feelings for Master might not be real."

Do I deserve love? I, who killed the man I loved out of hate, spite and fury.

"Mmm..." Ah, this woman, stop staring at me and answer already! I literally told you the secret I have been hiding for a long time...!

"As the master of relationships, I can tell you that what you have is not admiration, but love, however..."

"However?"

"..."

"..."

"Stop dragging it out and tell me!" Master of relationship? What does this fox knows when she's the one who becomes as obedient as a pet every time she sees darling!

"...You know, your understanding of why Anchin left you is wrong at the most basic level."

Huh?

"Wrong?" What is this woman saying?

"He didn't want to stay away from you, in fact, he liked you a little, just a little... However, your love is too heavy. With you, it's either love or hate, one or zero. You really need to change your way of thinking!"

"You're lying-"

"Mou, why are you so downhearted anyway?" Why are you staring at me like that... "You just have to go true with your feelings, aren't you my love rival?"

"Love, love rival?" Me? And her?

"Heh, whatever. In any case, I never considered a small fry like you as my opponent. A little girl like you lost the moment you decided to compete against me!"

"S-Small fry?! How dare you call me a small fry when you are just a lustful and obscene woman who had failed to win a man's heart!"

"Kiyo, you vixen! That was very vulgar of you!"

"Vulgar? Coming from a lecherous woman like you? And aren't you actually a real vixen?!"

They continued quarreling deep into the night as a lovely smile slowly formed on the face of Kiyohime.

 _'Thank you.'_

* * *

Shiki navigated through the pitch-black alleyways.

The surroundings were desolate as they gave out a melancholy vibe, it was as if she was in a B-rated movie with the role of victim no.1. With this creepy atmosphere, the scene would definitely be where she was about to be killed by the movie's monster.

 _'At this rate, something might really jump out and try to eat me.'_ Shiki mused.

It was not known whether it was because of her tempting fate or she just had bad luck. With a bone-chilling cry, the shadow around her shook and a formless being bolted at her.

The young girl reacted by pulling out her knife and slashing at the incoming figure. However, her slash wasn't able to do any harm as the shadow passed through both the knife and her arm.

"Tsk." Shiki grimaced. Although her knife was in pristine condition, half of her right arm was in poor state, corroded by whatever the shade hit her with.

At that moment, another round of attack came her way. Three creatures in the shape of a dog ran out from the shadow and leaped towards her, aiming for her left arm. She threw her knife at the foremost one and rolled to the side, taking cover behind trashcans and a foul-smelling dumpster.

The first dog-like beast dispersed as the knife came into contact with it, however, it reformed itself within seconds, causing the young girl to frown.

"They are immune to physical attack, but they can't corrode metals?" Shiki kicked the trashcans at the assailants to buy time. "Then...!"

Her eyes were no longer void-black like they usually are as she reopened her eyes. Her irides glowed in blue and the corners of her pupils shimmered in multitudes of colors, comparable to a magnificent rainbow.

Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

They are a type of Mystic Eyes that are considered to be such a rarity that they are thought not to exist at all. Under the Noble Colors System of the Mage's Association, they are designated as Rainbow, the highest level, and are considered Divine Spirit class Mystic Eyes, since they were literally able to kill anything, including gods, as long as it had the concept of 'death'.

Instead of evading, Shiki sprinted at the pouncing beasts, catching them off guard. The young girl grinned since she was able to retrieve her knife with them behind her back.

"This is checkmate!" With a flick of her wrist, she traced the lines she saw through her Mystic Eyes and the three approaching shades were all cut apart, scattering into nothingness.

However, the fight wasn't over yet.

"Oi oi, are you kidding me?" Turning around, ten additional creatures stood before her. Most of them were either similar to the previous hounds or were some type of animal.

Darkness were on every side.

The murky shadows moved, trying to confine her inside it as new shadow servants were created. Shiki danced between the horde, killing anything within her knife's range instantly, even so, that was not enough.

Reinforcements were being made every second, for every servant defeated, two more were formed. The assault from the swarm became more aggressive as time slowly ticked by, in fact, the newly created shades seemed to be even stronger than the preceding ones as they looked similar to Chimeras, which are magical creatures that originated from the mixing of different species.

 _'I'll run out of stamina at this rate...'_ Shiki breathed rapidly.

Seeing that their meal was starting to get tired, the monsters rushed at the young girl even more vigorously. Shiki fended off the beasts as best as she could but the young girl was caught off guard when she was stung by a poison stinger of a hippo-like creature.

Taking this chance, the fifty or so shadow servants all lunged at her simultaneously after communicating with each other through their hive mind, sealing the young woman's fate. The beasts bit and clawed at the meaty human, preparing for a grand feast.

However, the tender and delicious flesh didn't enter their stomach as a soothing voice came from the alleyway Shiki had passed through earlier.

"Bend."

The air rippled as space twisted from the words of her savior, the spoken voice was hushed yet graceful, implying that her rescuer was from a well-off family. The shadows near her were all killed, no, decimated by an invisible distortion within the atmosphere.

"Bend..."

The shades that weren't destroyed earlier all found themselves anchored within their own position. Their bodies were deformed and mangled as their surroundings crumpled by an undetectable force.

With the destruction of all its minions, the original darkness quickly created a few more beasts to act as cannon fodders while it retreated, narrowly avoiding its own death.

Shiki stared at her surroundings in surprise. The dreary and despondent feeling that she felt when she walked into the alleyway was no longer there, and the murky shadows had lessened in its size, indicating that her target was gone.

"You are..." Shiki stared in wide eyes, seeing a violet-haired girl walked out of the passageway. "I remember you... You are Azaka's friend, Asagami Fujino."

"Shiki-san? What are you doing here?" Even though Fujino seemed startled, she was unexpectedly calm, as if the frightening shadows from earlier weren't able to scare her at all. "And what were those.. creatures?"

Shiki didn't answer Fujino's question since she was currently staring into the violet-haired girl's eyes. Her eyes were no longer normal as it was glowing in various shades of red with occasional green lines passing by.

"Are you all right, Shiki-san? Your arm is bleeding..." The young Ryougi was snapped out of her thoughts at Fujino's words of concern. "Wait a moment please, I have a handkerchief here."

"I'm fine." Shiki replied casually, refusing the offer of assistance.

"But we need to stop your bleedi-" Fujino's pale face turned to the opposite girl's blackened arm. Bones were now visible as most of it were corroded off by the attack from the first shadow servant.

"I said I am fine." Shiki turned away in annoyance. "Go home, it's very late right now."

"...And don't come out to the backstreets at night, you don't know what might happen to an attractive girl like you." She glanced back as she started walking away. _'Those eyes... what are you?'_

 _'Asagami Fujino.'_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **It's my first time writing in 1st person, I hope it was good enough.**

 **I just bought Witcher 3 and Ghost Recon Wildlands on Steam and they're really addicting so...**

 **superpierce: You're welcome, and if you wish to know more about someone who is connected to the Root, check out Sayjou Manaka. Shiki is pretty much the same as her but without any limits at all, because her Origin is Nothingness.**

 **Paxloria: Demi-god or spirit, they were not rulers so they weren't included in the banquet.** **Tokiomi and Kariya were buried late because their successors needed to inherit their family, and you know, all the political Magi stuff. As for Kirei, he was just buried along with his teacher. Preservation Magecraft can also easily solve rotting. While the Hanging Gardens could be used as their home, they simply chose not to since they wished to experience the modern era.**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	21. Hollowed Garden (Part 5)

_Cold._

 _Cold was the only description that can be given in this frozen hell._

 _Winter had came early as if it was summoned to take the lives of these courageous warriors._

 _The land of snow was filled with corpses as t_ _he color of blood painted the former winter wonderland in crimson._

 _Cold._

 _Cold was the only emotion felt by the survivors._

 _Metal monsters that the men were so frightened of were no longer to be seen as t_ _he w_ _reckage of those giant war machines sank deeply into the ice._

 _T_ _wo red flags gently fluttered while the co_ _rpses of countless soldiers covered t_ _he entire battlefield_

 _"Generalmajor, your orders?"_

 _An officer in grey uniform moved into a tent and saluted at a white-haired man, but the answer that he received was the one which he most feared._

 _"Attack."_

 _This was war._

 _The hell on earth that even more men will have to march across in the future._

 _So pray._

 _Pray for the gods, devils, or anything that will prevent more lives from being taken away in this land of death._

* * *

"Hm~ Hm~ Hm~"

A melodious hum sounded out in the darkened night as a blonde-haired young girl sauntered leisurely across the streets of Mifune City.

Contrary to everyone's beliefs, Nero wasn't holed up in her room all the time, it was just that the young Roman emperor only went out their house when the sun almost set.

Unlike Ancient Rome, the nighttime of the present era wasn't dark as the city was illuminated by what they called 'light bulbs'. Nero had found that the scenery of a luminous city was very beautiful and swore to create an art based on it.

She would visit various places and take in its view as inspiration for her project, however, it seemed that she wouldn't be able to do so tonight...

"Hm~ Hm~ Hm~ ...Hm?" Nero suddenly stopped her footstep and smiled gleefully since she discovered something better to do than admiring the landscape.

...

Asagami Fujino stealthily traversed through the main road of the city by moving and hiding in the dimly lit corners.

Though it was only 7:00 in the evening in summertime, the sky had long since become dark. The wind was starting to pick up as the discarded junks drifted from one place to another, signaling the coming of a storm.

She was on the way to the bus station when she noticed the kimono girl, Ryougi Shiki, moving towards the direction of Broad Bridge.

Broad Bridge was her Father's pet project, it was a newly constructed architecture which connected the two separated coasts of Mifune City. With four lanes on either side, and passages and walkways for people underneath, it was quite the structure.

The violet-haired girl finally reached the bridge after an antsy period of trailing. Fujino looked around the area but she wasn't able to locate the silhouette of the kimono-murder, so she gave up at searching and entered the construction's lower level.

 _'Where is she?'_ Fujino was extremely anxious since she wasn't able to calm down after witnessing the battle that had occurred last night.

The heiress of the Asagami family was a special young lady, seeing that society would referred to someone like her a psychopath or a serial killer. People who, because they play by irregular rules of reality, make their existence itself a contradiction to reality. People who shouldn't be able to exist, people who can't exist

Fujino couldn't help but be attracted to causing pain, and would've suffered heavily if not for Alric's timely rescue. But even then, the young girl was enchanted by the scene she saw, where supernatural beings clashed against one another.

That was the reason why she had followed Shiki: to see and understand the unknown.

She went into the lower level instead of the usual entrance since she once heard from her father that the main entryway was guarded.

Broad Bridge's basement was a shopping mall. The structure and the interior design of the mall had already been finished, but the lights were yet to be connected, making the entire thing look like a subway station about to close up for the day.

After walking about five hundred meters, the surroundings abruptly changed. Fujino had reached the parking lot. The section that divided it and the mall was unfinished as the iron rebars poked out from the walls, making the building looked very fragile.

However, Shiki was nowhere to be found. And in place of the kimono girl, a formless shade stood alone in the center.

"You are..."

...

A black-haired girl wandered the inner parts of Broad Bridge.

It had been two days since she came into contact with the shadows and got her arm disabled. The figures of bent creatures and the collected face of Asagami Fujino was still fresh in her mind as if it had happened only an hour ago.

Fortunately, Touko was a genius Magus who specialized in making puppets, which included artificial body parts that were identical to actual working flesh. Though the redhead complained a lot, she still made her an exclusive magical prosthetic arm since it was her who sent Shiki on the job in the first place.

Shiki had arrived here by following a shadow servant, whom she spotted when she was roaming the town earlier. But the young girl couldn't find her target even after searching most of the bridge's interior.

Just as she was about to relieve her pent-up stress on the guiltless furniture, she saw the form of a familiar violet-haired girl inside the parking lot. She was crouched down, patting the head of a...

"...So it was you!" Shiki called out, her voice filled with mockery. "Asagami Fujino!"

The Asagami heiress jerked up and turned around, noticing the kimono girl she was chasing after earlier. She was confused at first, but then realized what Shiki meant. Shiki must have thought that she was the perpetrator. She glanced down to where the shadow beast was, but found that it had already disappeared.

"N-No, Shiki-san, this isn't what it seemed to be like..." Fujino waved her hand in front of her chest, trying to tell the opposite girl that she was wrong. "I only caught sight of you and since I was interested of what happened last night, I..."

"So you sent that monster as a decoy and stalked me till here?" Shiki didn't want to listen to Fujino's excuses. The young girl had wanted to satisfy her murderous urge since long ago and Fujino was the perfect choice, being the creator of a creature who killed five innocent citizens.

"Prepare yourself..." Shiki reached for the knife held on her back, pulling it out of its sheathe. "Asagami Fujino!"

She dashed towards the violet-haired girl, her knife aimed at Fujino's vital point, because she wanted to engage Fujino in a fight instead of just cutting her death line and ending it all at once.

"S-Shiki-san..." Fujino took a step backwards, agonizing whether to attack or not. However, she responded immediately upon seeing Shiki's murderous expression filled with killer intent. "You started this, Shiki-san!"

"Bend!" Fujino awakened her Mystic Eyes, and the space in front of Shiki started to twist with the force that can squash a human to shapeless mush instantly.

Shiki reacted by triggering her own Mystic Eyes. Two pairs of eyes stared at each other, one glowed in blue as the other glowed in red. Shiki abruptly rolled to the side in alarm, narrowly avoiding death.

"That was..." Though barely visible, Shiki was able to detect a revolving sphere in front of here. However, she didn't have time to slowly analyze Fujino's power, since the second round will soon start.

"Bend." Shiki widened her eyes. She can see three similar highly-pressurized globes almost touching her.

The Ryougi heiress changed direction and jumped to take cover behind the pillars, however, the protections were crushed instantaneously, unable to withstand even a single bit of Fujino's power.

"Your eyes..." Shiki distanced herself from the violet-haired girl and furrowed her brows. "Are they a type of Mystic Eyes?"

Mystic Eyes.

They are eyes that grant its owner the power to interfere with the outer world, acquired when there is some sort of mutation in the Magic Circuits located in the area around one's eyes. Examples of those are Mystic Eyes that can create illusions, put someone under charm, and invoke high-level hypnosis.

"Bend." Fujino answered by crushing all the areas surrounding Shiki and causing the entire parking lot to be filled with dust. The act had backfired by impeding the violet-haired girl's vision.

"Where are you, Shiki-san? Why don't you come out." Fujino uttered softly as she searched for the missing kimono girl. In her response, the concealed Shiki bolted out from the shadows and leaped around using the debris as cover.

"Bend." Space distorted around the dark-haired girl as seven balls of death were created, ready to turn her into pulp. However, this time, it wasn't effective. Shiki swiped her knife ahead and the invisible spheres were destroyed, stunning the Asagami heiress.

"Ugh." Fujino looked at the unharmed Shiki, who should have been dead by now.

"Things without form are hard to see, but you used it too many times." Shiki mocked as she severed more undetectable attacks from Fujino. "Thanks to you, I can finally see them."

"Your power is a spiral of red and green." The kimono girl smiled as she held her knife in front, destroying another supposedly imperceptible globe. "It's truly very beautiful."

"Who... who are you?" Fujino's eyes wavered, becoming afraid for the first time since she fought against Shiki.

Mystic Eyes of Distortion.

They are similar to Shiki's eyes. A pair of special eyes that existed at the highest realm of Mystic Eyes, as it straddles the line between ESP and Magecraft.

It is an innate ability that was tampered by human hands, granting her the power to create axes of revolution in a certain area of space. It allows one to change the trajectory of flying objects, even those with great supernatural power. Her two eyes are different since her left eye twists leftwards and her right eye twists right as a channel is needed for each direction.

Fujino's innate talent is also amazing since her Distortion were far more powerful than the average, by comparison, a normal user of Distortion would take several days just to bend a human arm, but she was able to perform feats beyond it easily.

The violet-haired girl originally didn't know that she possessed the Mystic Eyes of Distortion as her stepfather had wanted to seal her powers because he believed that nobody needed people with unusual abilities in the modern era anymore.

So her father forcibly induced her insensitivity to pain in order to suppress her Mystic Eyes, causing her to be ignorant of her appendicitis. However, with the help of Alric, she was cured of her insensitivity which led to the unsealing of her Mystic Eyes.

Additionally, the impact of seeing the fight between Shiki and the unknown creatures had stimulated her instinct further, quickening the awakening speed of her Mystic Eyes.

"Everything in creation has a flaw. Humans don't even need to be mention. However, air, intent, and even time have their flaws." Shiki smirked, staring at her knife in triumph. "My eyes... they can see the death of things. They're special, just like yours."

"Bend."

"So I can kill anything that lives." Shiki continued while cutting apart many invisible orbs. "...Even if that thing is a god."

"Bend!" Fujino panicked and started creating distortions in the air, but they were all destroyed by her opponent's expert knife skills.

"Bend! Bend! Bend! Bend! Bend! Bend-" The violet-haired girl wasn't able to continue since she was grabbed and thrown to the ground by Shiki.

"A-Are you going... to kill me?" Fujino stared at Shiki, who mounted the her. "Why are you going to kill me? I-I only fought you because you attacked me first..."

"You're lying." The obvious tone from Shiki silenced Fujino. "If you're innocent, then why are you smiling?"

"Huh?"

"Back then and even now..." Shiki smirked, her voice filled with satire. "Why do you look so happy?"

"...No... no way..." Fujino reached up and touch her face with hands, finally realizing that a smile was formed on her face. A twisted and ugly smile, that was. _'Was, was I excited at the idea of killing...?'_

Shiki pulled her knife backwards, preparing to finish off the violet-haired girl...

 _Growl._

"Um?" Shiki looked around the parking lot, startled by the sudden sound. _'A misconception?'_ She glanced around the pitch-black parking lot, not finding anything with her Mystic Eyes. However...

 _Growl._ _Growl. GROWL._

More snarls came from the surroundings. It sounded like an animal, no, it wasn't an animal, but roars and howls of many species of animals. The growls came from everywhere, frightening the fallen young girl and alerting the kimono girl.

An army.

That was what the pair of girls saw.

An army of shadow servants crawled out from the darkness. They gazed at the tender and delicate young girls with immeasurable desire. Those delicious and juicy flesh dolls were just standing there, as if the girls were the greatest gifts granted by their maker.

Tonight, they shall have a grand banquet and feast upon these luscious preys.

...

A certain Roman emperor silently clapped at the same time the two girls were encircled.

"Umu, what a great performance!" Nero exclaimed. She had discovered this funny pair moments ago. It was truly an amusing combination where the violet-haired girl stalked the black-haired girl, who was also stalking a small black puppy.

She followed them... Umu, should she also be considered as a stalker in this case? Whatever. Anyway, she stalked the pair and the black puppy, making her way through the town and into a giant structure the modern population called a bridge.

She witnessed the intense battle between the two girls, showing her that though lacking, even humans in this age can be warriors with great powers, capable of combat above the realm of the ordinaries.

The fight was amazing in its own way, where the violet-haired girl was able to twist and bend space, while the black-haired girl claimed that she could even kill gods as long as they are among the livings!

However, the play was interrupted by a bunch of shadows, probably comrades of that puppy. So seeing that it was about to end, she decided to go out and participate as one of the actors.

This will be her stage, since the main character always appear last!

...

"Behold my glory... Hear the thunderous applause..."

At the voice of a young girl, specks of red lights and rose petals filled the air as the mayhem that was about to start in the parking lot suddenly stopped.

"Sit down and praise... My Golden Theater!"

The entire area was illuminated by the color red, and the army of shadow creatures froze at the massive amount of Mana that overflowed the atmosphere.

"Kingdom of Heaven and Hell... My heaven, reconstructed!"

Shiki and Fujino looked around, finally spotting where the voice came from, it was a blonde-haired young girl. However, it was at that moment that the radiance of a Noble Phantasm was fully unleashed.

"This is where the limelight shines! Aestus Domus Aurea!"

At her cheerful declaration, their entire world changed.

"This is..." Two two girls stared wide-eyed at their surroundings. The dark parking lot was gone, and it its place, was a brilliant and opulent golden theater. Rose petals and glittering red lights twinkled, making the golden theater seemed even more impressive than it originally was.

A haughty blonde-haired young girl stood in the center of the gold and red theater. They can see from her facial expression that she was behind the sudden shift and that she was extremely proud of this place.

Shiki suddenly collapsed as she was about to examined the location with her Mystic Eyes. However, she stood up soon after, though her countenance had drastically changed. She was now full of indifference, not caring of what was going on at all.

Fujino crumbled down and gaped at the impossible situation. She could accept her eyes that can bend space, she can accept Shiki's eyes that can kill anything, and she can accept the army of shadow beasts. But she wasn't able to accept what was going on, it was indeed quite unfortunate that the violet-haired girl didn't know anything regarding the existence of Magecraft.

This was no longer messing and affecting physics and causality, but the warping of reality. And seeing that those ferocious animals were shaking in fear, she could guess how strong the young girl was.

Nero dashed at the frightened beasts, whom tried to fled from her. Sadly, they weren't able to escape since they suddenly found themselves immobile. She swung her sword, Aestus Estus, and formed a slash of flowing petals, completely annihilating the shadow horde.

The Fifth Roman emperor headed to the pair, and raised her hand. "Umu. Your battle against each other was splendid!"

The one who accepted her gesture of respect was Ryougi Shiki. She sighed and whispered to Nero. "Did that man sent you?"

"Um? Who?" Nero asked confusedly.

Something seemed to clicked inside Ryougi Shiki after she paused for a few seconds. "So that's it..." She didn't answer Nero and pointed at the kneeling Fujino. "Will you take care of her?"

"Ugh?" Nero stared at the kimono girl puzzlingly, then smiled as she tapped her chest. "Umu. Leave it to me! I will see that no harm be done to her!"

...

The High-Thamaturgy slowly faded away, and the heiress of Ryougi made her way out without speaking another word.

However, no one noticed the man who was hidden inside the darkness, watching Nero carrying away a fainted Fujino.

"...A Noble Phantasm?"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I saw the new SAO and fell in loved with it, I was always a softie for action anime~ :P**

 **Life is getting busy so expect less frequent releases. :C**

 **Paxloria: Thanks! And yes, Touko is Aoko's sister. She can also tell that they are not human if she observe long enough, but it also depends on which Servant it is. She definitely won't be able to see through the Casters, but someone like Kiyohime will be seen through if she doesn't try to hide it.**

 **klim770: Maybeee, or maybe nooot~**

 **Stratos: Yup yup.**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	22. Hollowed Garden (Part 6)

_'The world is beautiful.'_

 _That was what I thought the first time I laid my eyes upon the land which was no longer blackened._

 _It was the first time I felt sincere gratitude and true happiness from deep within my heart as I saved the world and liberated mankind from the eternal darkness._

 _I have finally achieved it... t_ _he salvation of humanity._

 _However, what awaited me after all that were similar scenes I had seen countless times in the past._

 _Pain, bloodshed, murder, exploitation, sorrow, despair, guilt, savagery, violation, massacre, doubt, jealousy, fear, corruption, tyranny, lust, injustice, carnage, genocide, torture, grief, death, betrayal, greed, abuse, sufferance, slaughter._

 _Injustice to the innocents that I wanted to prevent happened again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again..._

 _Nonetheless, I did not question my faith, nor was I discouraged by the cruelty I've seen. Because I promised... I promised that I would save everyone, no matter the cost._

 _That is why I needed power! I needed unchallenged strength that would be able to trample on every being on this land!_

* * *

Precognition.

It is an unbelievable psychic power which grants its possessor the ability to perceive the future. One can see the results he so desires and toy with fate and destiny, attaining successes with minimum efforts.

So one might ask: Is the future set in stone? Or is it intangible and always changing?

I wonder, was our fate decided the moment we were born?

...

 **August 3, 1998,** **11:42 A.M.**

A pair of misty brown eyes glanced at the sky through the window.

Seo Shizune was a top student from Reien Girl's Academy. It was summer break and she had planned to travel back home, however, she ran into an unfortunate accident a short while ago.

You see, despite her seemingly ordinariness, the brown haired girl was gifted with special eyes that granted her the ability to see future events. She was able to predict the future of those around her randomly and without prior notice.

She was hit with a vision just as she was stepping out of the bus, where the man in front of her would die from an explosion not far in the future. But the short-haired girl still failed after trying to stop the man frantically.

It was at that moment that a black-haired man came and agreed to help her. He managed to convince the soon-to-be victim from walking too far ahead, which prevented him from getting caught up in the explosion.

At first, Shizune thought that the kind man who trusted her got involved in the accident, causing her to be heartbroken and struck with panic. Luckily, the friendly man came back a few minutes later, and told her that he rescued the other person, who got away from harm with only minor injuries.

Hearing the good news, the brown-haired girl wasn't able to hold in her emotions and cried while hugging her own knees. Seeing the weeping young girl, the black-haired man comforted and then invited her to a nearby coffee shop so that they could take a breather.

Shizune smiled and agreed since she had over an hour before the next train, leading to the current situation. They visited a nearby coffee shop, A Magician's Taste, and started having a pleasant conversation on the topics related to Precognition.

 _"And that was how I met Mikiya-san."_

...

 **11:33**

A certain Japanese warlord inspected the bridge and the surrounding fractured ground, they were charred black by a time bomb's blast from a few minutes ago.

"It's done by the same culprit who blown up the stage on July 27th, and flattened an entire floor of a luxurious hotel on July 31st." Nobunaga seemed to be in deep contemplation as she had an unusually serious expression.

"...Not bad, but still an amateur. I can't feel any love or passion from these! As master of the craft, I have to teach him a lesson!" She would've been slapped and grounded in her room if the dragon riding saint were to hear her nonchalant comment on the psychopathic terrorist's behavior.

She rubbed her chin, staring into empty space with faraway eyes. However, the thoughts inside her mind were filled with flowery visions of countless explosions, all created by her through countless experiments. Ah, just remembering the pain she had to suffer from the others in order to create her arts makes her want to cry.

Nobunaga clenched her fist tightly and looked up at the vast and beautiful sky. She will find this demolition failure and show him what true explosives are like-

 _BOOM_

...

 **11:28**

 _Ring Ring_

The sun at the center of the sky shined brightly, raising the entire city's temperature. A black-haired woman, who was walking down the streets, pulled out a phone from inside her blue kimono and answered.

"Hello." The speaker was a young male who must have changed his voice using a voice-changer. "I do believe this is our first acquaintance, Ryougi-san."

"Oh, really?" Shiki replied with satire. "You've seen me from nearby plenty of times."

"That's absurd. All I do is set up bombs." Those phrases had just confirmed his identity as the bomber who had attacked her three times in the past few days. She had saw the culprit's figure during the luxurious hotel bombing on July 31st, causing him to go after her, almost hurting her on several occasions.

"Right now I'm talking to you from an apartment complex from far, far away."

"So you're a busybody on top of being a liar?" Shiki mocked in a deadpanned tone. "Whatever. So, what do you want?"

"I've been trying to kill you, you know..." The caller asked incredulously. "Aren't you going to ask for my motive or intent?"

"Would you answered if I asked?" Shiki smirked as she moved near a bridge. "I have no interest in you, anyway. If you insist on this, I will just have to swat you like an annoying fly."

"...Now aren't you confident?" The unknown bomber questioned. "I didn't foresee that answer."

"You'll die. You are going to die." He repeated as if he was sure that he was right. "You will die by being engulfed in the flames of an explosion."

"Still alive here." The dark-haired girl ignored the threats and continued her teasing.

"It is inevitable. I can see every future, you know." From his tone, Shiki could tell that she must already be dead in the man's eyes. It was as if he was a god who had absolute control over her life, truly stupid. "And the futures I see are set in stone."

"Oh, so that's the type of futuresight you have." Shiki grinned, recalling her conversation with Touko yesterday.

"Huh?" The speaker seemed a little surprised at the mention of Precognition. "It's the same as math formula. If I know the numbers, there's no altering the answer."

"Do you enjoy this?" Shiki stepped onto the bridge.

"...Who knows?" A tired voice replied her, implying that the bomber must have pondered seriously before answering her. "I haven't had what you'd call personal will in nearly six years."

"Is pestering me some kind of game to you?" The kimono girl slowly moved across the bridge, almost reaching the middle, where a white truck was parked.

"I do not play games." A man was observing Shiki from the roof of a building with binoculars, in his hand was a phone identical to the one Shiki had. He had ash-color hair and amber eyes. "You have seen my face. Now I must dispose of you from far away, with nothing connecting your death to me."

"You're a terrible liar." The light reflected the image of Shiki off the binocular's mirror. "You're nearby. aren't you?"

"I said I wasn't." The bomber frowned.

"No. You have to be nearby." The man was starting to get irritated by his target's mockery. "If your visions of the future are images, then you'd have to be a camera, meaning that you must be at the scene. This is the condition for your Precognition."

"You haven't been nearby for your previous three attempts." The caller put his thumb on a detonator as his green shirt fluttered along the wind. "That's why they all failed-"

 _Click-_

...

There are two main types of Precognition, Future Prediction and Future Calculation, with the majority of users being able to Predict instead of Calculate. There also exists a rare third type known as Divination that does not require information processing and is considered 'true' precognition.

Prediction is the ability to unconsciously gather information about one's surroundings and, comparing it to past events and experiences, to use it to predict future events and their outcomes.

Calculation, on the other hand, is the ability to purge possibilities from occurring by watching the location of the possible futures, thereby bringing to fruition the events one desires. It can thus be described as forging the path to achieve a desired future, enabling its user to calculate and define the future with perfect accuracy.

That is why Calculation is limited by its requirement of directly watching the target area. It also makes the normally formless and ever-shifting concept of the future tangible.

...

 _BOOOM!_

The white truck in the bridge's center suddenly exploded, engulfing the entire bridge in flames. The citizens nearby, including a certain brown-haired girl who was waiting for a black-haired man, all panicked as they heard the loud detonation, while black smokes ascended to sky, showing the police and the firefighter the blast's location.

The culprit grinned, seeing the success of his bombs through the binocular.

However, he widened his eyes at what followed after the explosion. Ryougi Shiki, the girl who saw him on July 31st, was not dead. She was in mid-air, since he leaped off the bridge the moment the bomb went off.

She fell into the river as she threw the phone onto the riverbank, completely avoiding the explosions which would have easily killed her.

"?!" Mitsuru saw Shiki picked up the phone after she reached the shore. However, instead of just answering, she turned her head and smirked, looking directly at...

"Finally, I have found you."

Mitsuru tooked a step back in surprise as the binoculars fell out of his hand, falling all the way down the building. He glanced at Shiki's location for a double-check and started running down the rooftop. Shiki grinned in excitement and jumped onto the road, dashing towards the direction of the mysterious bomber.

"She's coming!" Strangely, Mitsuru was not afraid as a victorious smile was plastered on his face while he navigated down the stairs, leaving the apartment complex. "Surviving the bridge bomb was the final key! At last, I can..."

"Fifteen minutes from now, in that parking structure. That's where..." The more he ran, the wider his smile became. He was so excited since he was finally going to kill that freakish kimono woman.

...

 **11:40**

"Nero-san, you shouldn't eat that much..." Fujino sat across the Roman Emperor, who was wolfing down plate after plate of food. She turned around and noticed an acquaintance of her was in the store. "Please, Nero-san, the other customers are staring at us..."

She had met the gluttonous blonde-haired girl a month ago and they have steadily became close friends. She was vary and slightly weirded out by the haughty girl's temperament at first, but since then, she had slowly opened her heart up as they went out and play together.

Nero would show Fujino various sceneries and in exchange, the violet-haired girl would teach the Roman Emperor various knowledge on school subjects that she had learned, and she would consult her about the relationships between her and her classmates.

Their trip to the city usually ended up with them having lunch in this coffee shop, which was ran by Nero's friends. Apparently, since they own the entire building, they get to eat for free every time they came here.

"You sure eat a lot." A waitress, who had green hair tied up in twin-tails, spoke up in an annoyed tone. "So. Are you ordering more, cus-tom-er-san?"

"Yes, more blueberry pies please!" Nero beamed at the girl and proceeded to gulped down another plate. She couldn't stop enjoying the cuisine from the modern era, not to mention that she didn't have to worry about her weight since she was a Servant.

"I'm sorry for troubling you, Chikagi-chan." Fujino bowed at the hundred percent pissed off waitress, who had to make trips between their table and the kitchen to serve them food every time they visited.

...

 **11:32**

Ryougi Shiki stepped onto the third floor of a multi-story parking lot on a large department a few blocks away from the apartment complex.

Shiki had reached the structure the bomber was in a short while ago, however, all she found were signs of him leaving the building. So she chased after him by following the tracks he left behind, arriving at where she was right now.

Mitsuru ducked down, hiding behind a white van as he readied the detonator. He had created a trap just for that crazy woman, a fragmentation bomb filled with tiny metal balls that was impossible to dodge even for someone like her.

She would die instantly as she didn't have any ability to resist such a deadly weapon. The future had been determined. Once she had pursued him all the way here, her death cannot be overruled. Hearing the sounds of footsteps, he switched on the remote control.

Kamekura Mitsuru, who went by by the nickname Kuramitsu Meruka, was someone who possessed Future Calculation.

His Right Eye was capable of seeing the future he desired, while his Left Eye could see the path to achieve that future. This allowed him to actually calculate and define the future with a 100% accuracy. As it is a future backed by calculation, gathering the evidence of actions, he had to physically see the target to see the future.

The only sound inside the silent parking lot was her footsteps. With her knife in hand, Shiki leisurely headed towards the culprit of all these events. Along the way, a man and his daughter appeared at the mouth of the elevator on her right side.

It was at nearly the same time in which Mitsuru pressed the button on the detonator, Shiki's knife flashed as she cut apart something in the air. It was invisible yet not formless, similar to the Distortions created by Asagami Fujino.

"Argh!" A cry of pain came directly from where Mitsuru was hiding. His sight of the future, as though his eye was directly bisected in a diagonal line, was split in two and extinguished.

"W-What, w-why?" He repeatedly pushed the button of the remote control, but the bomb wouldn't go off. "That, can't, be?! It, hurts!"

"Can you hear me bomberman?" The voice of Ryougi Shiki came from close by. "If it can't see anything, then you don't need that eye."

"Had it been simple Prediction, you might've actually killed me." Blood flowed down Mitsuru's right eye, since it was cracked into half by the dark-haired girl earlier. "However, in your case, you see too much."

"Why, why?!" He held his face in pain. "Why did the future change?!"

The current situation didn't make any sense. From what he saw through his right eye, Shiki was supposed to be teared into shreds by his trap in the parking lot after narrowly avoiding the explosion on the bridge.

"It didn't change." Shiki's footsteps grew closer and closer. "There was never such thing as the future. You can't interfere with something that doesn't exist."

 _"Future Prediction is seeing the possibility of a future coming to pass."_ Shiki recalled Touko's words when she visited her inside the office that was clouded by cigarette smoke. _"On the other hand, Future Calculation is purging of all possibilities and bringing to pass the future you see, it's a special ability that far surpasses Prediction. However..."_

"The future is invincible because it is formless." Shiki mocked him in a teacher's tone as she reached the van Mitsuru was hiding behind. "But give it form, and it's only natural that it'll be broken."

"And your future was even clearer than the ridges on a screw." Mitsuru trembled, staring at his hand covered in his own blood. "Your future halted in its tracks the moment you gave shape to it."

"Goodbye, bomberman." She was about to kill the culprit, but she was very surprised when she glanced at his true form. "...What's with you?"

Kamekura Mitsuru, also known as the free-lance bomber Kuramitsu Meruka, was actually only fourteen years old.

He was dissatisfied with the prospect of a regular and unexpressive life since he could predict everything with one hundred percent accuracy. So he left the ordinary and boring life behind and worked as a for-hire bomber and was famous for his ability of escaping from his captors. Even the alias he chose was based on a comic character he liked.

Seeing Shiki, Mitsuru panicked and activated the detonator once again, which ironically was successful this time.

 _BOOM_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I just had to add Chikagi, yanno.**

 **I also added the exact times since it would be a bit confusing if you have never seen a Kara no Kyoukai film before (Mujun Rasen PTSD ermahgerd).**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	23. Hollowed Garden (Part 7)

_"...Why...?"_

 _"Because..._ _%#%^#*..._ _you are unreasonably kind..."_

 _A scorching inferno._

 _It was where nature once grew abound as countless magnificent marble structures occupied this blessed garden of tranquility._

 _But now, fire encompassed the entire area, the beautiful decors were all burned down and the abundant floras had all turned into cinders._

 _It was this fiery hell where those three had played merrily in the past._

 _The blonde-haired woman who was laying in a pool of her own blood._ _She was no longer breathing._

 _A white-haired woman was doing her best at staying conscious._ _She had a sword stabbed into her chest._

 _"..._ _It must be painful to shoulder this fate_ _..." S_ _he tried her best to endure the piercing pain as she stared straight at the man in front of her._

 _Time had passed. The former boy's brown hair and innocent blue eyes had already changed into shades of black and white, his naive and sincere smile was replaced by coldness._

 _However, she could feel his determination faltering from the trembling hand which held the blade. So i_ _nstead of resisting, she grabbed his hand and thrust the sword deeper into her chest._

 _"But you are not wrong."_ _The goddess gave the man a sad smile as he widened his eyes. "So please... do not forget..."_

 _"...our Promise of Heaven_ _."_

The pink-haired queen stared at the familiar ceiling of her room.

"Silly." Medb turned to Titus, who still had his eyes closed. They were in the same bed since they had spent a passionate night as they enjoyed the pleasure of flesh together. "Although I agreed to continue sharing our link, you should really stop showing me these depressing dreams."

"Even if I did say that I do not mind brutality and betrayals." She caressed the sleeping man's face. "...But still, I can't accept tragedies that easily."

* * *

It was at noontime of November 9, two months since the high school girls suicide spree incident, when three people were having a conversation inside the office of Garan no Dou. Unusually, a certain redheaded puppet maker wasn't among the ones inside the room.

Mikiya had found out that Touko had caught the Flu when he wanted show her his new driver's license yesterday. Even though she was burning at 38 degree celcius, the female Magus was still going strong and would have came to work if he didn't stop her.

A young girl dressed in black school uniform sat on the chair behind the desk across the room. She was Kokutou Azaka, his sister who he had met only a precious few times. The high school freshman had come to visit him today since she had failed to see him the previous time. Apparently, she was caught up with her best friend's crush the last time she came to Mifune city.

Azaka received an opportunity to travel because the dormitories she was living in were forced to close down for repairs after being set on fire. Fortunately, the whole building didn't crumbled as only the east wing where the freshmen and sophomores stayed was burned down.

The young girl was currently copying down cryptic words from a thick book into a piece of paper. A month ago, Touko had accepted Azaka as her Magus apprentice. His sister had ignored him when he vehemently expressed his indignation at the idea of her becoming the puppet maker's student since he didn't wish for his sister to become someone as eccentric as his employer.

All of a sudden, the door crashed open alongside the footsteps of a certain redheaded Magus. The supposedly sick Touko took off her coat and took her usual place behind the desk.

"Azaka, didn't I tell you not to practice Magecraft in public?" Touko's eyebrows came close together in a frown. "And don't rely too much on tools too channel the Art. It'll dull your skills."

"Yes, I'm sorry." Azaka lowered her head while her cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

"Hmm? Mikiya, what is that?" The puppet maker shown interest in the bag her employee held in his hand.

"Oh, this?" Mikiya raised the bag to eye-level. "It's something Akitaka-san entrusted to me last night. I think he said it was a Kanesada or something?"

"Kanesada?" Shiki burst out suddenly. "As in the swordsmith-thatinscribes-the-Kuji-on-his-swords Kanesada?"

The kimono girl beamed as she immediately retrieved the bag from the black-haired boy. She pulled the pack's strings, revealing a long, thin piece of seemingly years old steel. It was no wonder Mikiya felt his arm numb holding it since the metal which was wrapped by cotton cloth was about sixty centimeters in length.

"What is that, Shiki?" The glasses boy questioned.

"Wanna see? This is Kanesada Kuji. It's a blade the likes of which you'll rarely see these days." The happy girl turned to Mikiya and shown the biggest grin he had ever seen.

"Shiki, I know that's an old piece of history." Touko stopped her before she was about to extract the blade completely. "Don't pull it out or you'll cut down the Bounded Field I have set up."

"Ah, fine. It's not like you are that interested in swords anyway." Hearing the redhead's stern warning, Shiki grumbled and put the blade back into the bag.

"Old swords build up their own mystery and belief around their ancient history, and so become weapons capable of even cutting spells shaped from Magecraft." Touko explained in her teacher's tone. "So don't take that thing out again. I won't be responsible for any eldritch horrors you may unleash spiriting you away."

"So, Mikiya, let's hear your reason for being late." The Grand Rank Magus breathed a sigh of relief and turned to her favorite slav-, ahem, worker.

"Ah, about that." Mikiya scrambled to open his briefcase, taking out a pile of documents. "I was busy looking up the names of the residents of Ogawa Apartments. I also found some other information you might be interested in, Touko-san."

"Oh? Quite a hard worker, aren't you? As expected of my favorite employee." Touko complimented as Shiki furrowed her brows in annoyance. "So, what did you find?"

"You see, Touko-san." Mikiya scratched his head. "The Ogawa Apartment Complex is really weird..."

* * *

Titus smiled wryly looking at the report in his hand, it depicted all of Nobunaga's reckless acts. Winter's finally came and it has been three months since the Japanese warlord had saved Ryougi Shiki and a young boy from an explosion. He had a lot of trouble covering up the event since the police had arrived on the scene swiftly.

Unfortunately, the incident was an overall bad influence for Nobunaga. She spouted nonsense after rescuing the pair, something about realizing the different types of explosive devices, giving him a big headache.

Titus sighed and looking at the goods she had ordered the past few days. Black powder, plastic, iron, lead, steel, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, iodine, fluorine, mercury, aluminum, titanium, copper, silver, gold, platinum, ruby, sapphire, emerald, nitroglycerin, ammonium nitrate, mithril, chimera's parts, preserved wyvern venom, herbs that are over a century old, plutonium, wait, hold on a moment-

He facepalmed as he finally discovered where the lost funds went. Why did she need those rare materials for bomb-making...?

Titus decided to ignore everything he just read and picked up another document, which contained the information of his accomplishments in the moonlit world. He had successfully established himself as a powerhouse in the Mage's Association and spread his roots into many other supernatural organization.

Despite not being the heir, he was his family's center of attention and he was engaged to a girl who was the representative of an ancient family of Magi which was formerly considered to be elite among the elites. The Archibald was also one of the only families to possess close ties with the Barthomelois.

Of course, his main reason behind their marriage was that Reines would inherit the title of one of the Twelve Lords, El-Melloi, from Waver when she was old enough.

Family history, prestige, Magic Crest, Magic Circuits, connections, wealth, mentality, and personal skills were the most important aspect of Mages. Inside the Clock Tower, no matter how great their own personal ability was, Magi who didn't have even half of the mentioned are automatically regarded as failures.

Of course, there are exceptions, but those who were judged base on their own abilities and skills were few and far between, and most of them were ones who were truly talented.

He had pretended to be a follower of god and adopted Caren to make connections with the Holy Church as the Kotomines' close friend. His skill in Alchemy landed him friendship with the Atlas Temple, and surprising the Prague Association had also contacted him.

Using this rare chance, he became a sort of mediator between Atlas and the Wandering Sea. However, it still took him an entire year even though he put in great amount of efforts to attain that position. It just shows how bad the relationship between Atlas and the Prague Association was.

Titus put down the report on his achievements on his office table and picked up an unsealed letter, reconfirming its content. It had arrived this morning, sent directly by one of his contact's familiar from the Wandering Sea. He chuckled as he read the document's title 'Sponheim Abbey.'

"I can use this..."

* * *

"Thought so. No one else has a name that rare." Shiki clicked her tongue seeing the name of a certain redheaded wannabe murderer and freelodger. "Sorry, but I gotta go home early today. Got any wheels I can use, Touko?"

"I guess there's a 200cc motorcycle in the garage." Touko replied quizzically. "Though, are you seriously going to ride a bike while dressed in a kimono? Also don't take the Harley out. I haven't taken the sidecar off it yet."

"Shiki!" Mikiya called out to Shiki as she was about to leave the office. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt ominous looking at her leaving figure.

"What is it, Mikiya?" She answered casually, not stopping her footsteps.

"Err, nothing. Just that I'll drop by in the evening, don't forget it!" He immediately felt awkward of what he was about to say. Warn her? What was there to warn her about?

* * *

"Titus, what are you doing?" Hearing his name called, he turned around and found the Greek demi-goddess peeking at the package in his hand curiously. They were in his office located on their headquarter's second floor.

"It's from one of the parcels sent here this morning." Titus opened the package, revealing a precious antique jewelry box.

"What's inside?" Circe's eyes shined at the luxurious object. Considering the person who received it and how he carefully treated it, something really valuable must be inside it. "Is it the remains of a Phantasmal Species?"

Phantasmal Species referred to all non-human creatures that are found in legends and fantasy. Circe must have thought that a piece of one of the rare creatures' body part, such as hydra's venom, a unicorn's horn, basilisk's eyeballs, fairy's dust, or maybe even a true dragon's fang was inside the box.

Titus laughed at Circe's bountiful imagination and opened the box to show her what was really inside. What laid within was simply a white cloth decorated with a metal eight pointed star.

"Is that it? Just a piece of cloth?" The pink-haired goddess looked at the fabric in disappointment. "What's so valuable about this? Although I can tell that it is old, its age hasn't even reach a century yet, it's totally useless when you can find something much better to use as sacrifice in Black Magic."

"This." Titus slapped away the grabby hand which tried to pick up the cloth. "Is a catalyst."

"Ow!" She rubbed her hand, feigning pain with tears in her eyes. "You can't treat a lady like that."

"I got it from an auction in Russia a while back." The white-haired man ignored the complaining girl as he closed the box. "It's a relic from the former empire of frost and snow."

"Oh?" Circe put her hand on her forehead in misery while she spoke teasingly. "Are you going to summon new Servants? Have you already become tired of playing with us? What a heatless man you are..."

"Cut it out." Titus sighed.

* * *

It has been an hour since Shiki had borrowed the female Magus' motorcycle. Mikiya and Touko decided to pay a visit to the Ogawa Apartments Complex to see what's wrong with it themselves.

It was ten floors tall, and a brick fence surrounded the grounds. A long, thin path extended from the parking lot to the entrance, all the way inside to the lobby, making it look like some bizarre Taj Mahal. Touko had dismissed the parking fees and parked her car on the roadside since they weren't able to find the underground parking.

Mikiya followed behind the puppet maker who was lighting a cigarette as they made their way to the lobby. The moment he stepped inside, he felt his stomach start to churn. The seemingly normal yet impressive furnishing gave him an overwhelming uneasiness while a bad premonition slowly encompassed his mind.

"It's just your imagination playing tricks, Kokuto." Tokou whispered into the young man's ear. Her voice was able to snap him out of his disorder.

"Not the most pleasant of buildings, isn't it." Kokutou commented and reinspected his surroundings. He found out that the little things which usually doesn't have much of an impact to a structure's decoration were designed to toy with the visitors' mind. Whoever designed this must be as eccentric as someone like his employer.

"Which floor, good sir?" The red-haired Magus approached and entered the elevator as she invited her favorite employee in good humor.

"Hmm, maybe we could start with the fourth floor." Mikiya decided to play along and joined Touko in the elevator.

"All right, up we go."

* * *

 **Mystic Eyes**

 **Personal Skill: Rank EX**

 **A pair of eyes that can ?**

* * *

 **Denial of Miracles**

 **Personal Skill: Rank EX**

 **The effect of any skill that made the impossible possible is erased.**

* * *

 **Privilege of An Accomplished One**

 **Personal Skill: Rank -**

 **Allows the Servant to have five extra personal skills in addition to the original five, amounting to a total of ten, since the Servant Container isn't able to handle any more than that.** **The Servant also has the ability to switch them out with any other personal skill the Servant possesses at anytime he so desires.**

 **Current active skills:**

 **1\. Distorted Shadow A+**

 **A Skill that allows one to become one with the shadows, giving the Servant Presence Concealment no matter which class they are.** **The Servant's presence is distorted, leading to confusion to anyone who tries to discern his true form.**

 **The skill rank of Presence Concealment is depended on what the Servant would receive if he was summoned as an Assassin.**

 **2\. Flawless Disguise A+**

 **The Servant can freely change his shape or form without suffering from rank downs in his parameters.**

 **3\. Rational Insanity EX**

 **A similar skill to Mental Pollution, but mutual understanding is possible since the Servant ? instead of retaining his distorted mentality. The Servant has absolute immunity to mental interference.**

 **4\. Eye of the Mind (True) EX**

 **A heightened capacity for observation, refined through training, discipline and experience.** **A danger-avoidance ability that utilizes the intelligence collected up to the current time as the basis in order to predict the opponent's activity and change the current situation.**

 **This is not a result of talent, but an overwhelming amount of combat experience.** **A weapon wielded by none other than a mortal, gained through tenacious training.** **So long there is even a 1% chance of a comeback, this ability greatly improves the chances of winning.**

 **5\. Golden Rule (Wealth & Treasure) B (A+++)**

 **A Skill that refers to the measurement of one's fortune to acquire wealth.** **The Skill is greatly ranked up the moment the Servant goes on a search for anything that can be called a "truly valuable artifact."**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I've got the timeline of the whole Mujun Rasen down so you won't experience any PTSD like the film,** **I also mixed up the events of November 8 and 9 since it's annoying to separate them, and finally, a** **ll his skills are revealed!**

 **Btw, Killing Floor 2 is o** **n double XP :O**

 **Guest: Ehhh, I don't want to reveal my story's plot D: I might write interludes of what happened to the other Servant's adventure in the future, but I won't for now. They have all returned to Mifune City at the moment. The dreams they get are hints to Titus' past, skills, and Noble Phantasms as they'll keep coming in future chapters.  
**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	24. Hollowed Garden (Part 8)

A youth in his teens knocked on Shiki's apartment door. His name is Enjou Tomoe, a redhead who was rescued by Shiki from a gang a month ago in the middle of October. He had freeloaded in Shiki's room until he found a part-time job and acquired a place to live for himself.

It has been nine days since Tomoe last met the girl who claimed herself as a murderer. His thoughts were in shambles as he had saw his mother who should have been dead for a month in Hachiko Square today. He clearly remember killing her himself, so why was she alive?!

 _Creaak_

Tomoe opened the door with his key seeing that Shiki didn't want to open the door for him. He was the one who ordered the keys and added the lock since the owner was shameless and fearless enough to not have them included when she moved here.

"What the? It's you again?" The first thing he saw was the dark-haired young sitting on the ground with some kind of cloth under her. Various parts of a katana laid on the fabric as the young girl was assembling it back into its original shape skillfully.

"What's that?" Tomoe looked at the sharp blade dubiously. Why did Shiki have a expensive-looking katana? It was one of those sword that he can tell was the 'real' thing since it was nothing like the cheap ones he had seen before.

"Oh? Are you interested in swords? I knew you were one of us!" Shiki grinned and picked up the last component as she completed the assembly flawlessly. She then showed it to Tomoe. "This is Kanesada Kuji, a famed sword. It's at least five hundred years old!"

"Ah, is it?" Tomoe answered the enthusiastic girl awkwardly and quickly changed the topic to what he wanted to ask in the first place. "Shiki... people die when they are killed, right?"

"Of course, the hell you going on about?" The kimono girl replied doubtfully. Her gaze alone questioned the red-haired boy's sanity, it was as if she was asking if he had hit his head this morning. "People die if they are killed."

"No, that's not what I meant." Tomoe tried to explain while waving his hands in front of him. "...You remember when I told you that I killed my mother?"

"Yeah, so?" Shiki nodded.

"You see... I saw her this morning." The redhead bit his thumb anxiously. "I was wandering the town, and when I went to watch the news at Hachiko Square, I found my mom walking in the streets with a plastic bag in her hand."

"Heh, then what?"

"Then what you say?!" Tomoe raised his voice. "My mom was alive and kicking as if all the events that happened that night didn't happen at all! I clearly remember stabbing her with the kitchen knife and opening her stomach...! Human intestines are squishy and warm, you know...?! Ha,haha!"

"Hey now, calm down you wannabe murderer." Shiki was neither shocked nor surprised at her freelodger's words. "We just have to go to Ogawa and check if they are really dead."

"What...?" Tomoe glanced up. The black-haired girl was already waiting for him in the apartment's entrance, she had worn her favorite red leather jacket over her white kimono.

"Come on, scaredy-cat." Shiki gestured for the redhead to follow. "I have a bike downstairs. It's a Harley I borrowed from my kind and benevolent employer." Of course she didn't mention how she was supposed to take the 200cc motorcycle and not the Harley.

"...Are we going now?" Tomoe questioned even though he knew that the opposite girl wouldn't say no. He was determined at ascertaining the truth of what really happened that night.

"Yes yes, so hurry up!"

* * *

Room 410.

This was the authentic room where the person known as Enjou Tomoe had died. They had visited room 405 where he had believed was his home earlier but all they found were fakes that started killing each other exactly like how he remembered it occurred.

Shiki had told him that the building was built in a way that would confuse and obscure its residents' perception, causing him to confuse his actual home, which was room 410, with the dummy that was room 405.

"What are you doing?! What if we got the room wrong?!" Shiki had pushed the door open and entered without any prior warning the moment he was about to ring the doorbell. "My mom and dad might not be in there, you know?!"

"Just come in." Tomoe flinched at his partner's straightforwardness. He followed her in and dropped to his knees, trying not to vomit at the disgusting and gruesome sight.

Inside the living room which doubled as the kitchen lied the corpses of his deceased family members. The smell was revolting as they both had decomposed. He could see flies and maggots flying and crawling on the rotting bodies.

"This... they must have been dead for at least half a year." The kimono girl examined the nauseating corpses without even a shred of repulsion, it was as if she was unusually familiar with the sight of death.

"What... what the hell?!" Tomoe started panicking after seeing the impossible scene. He stood up and turned around while trembling, he... he needed to check his bedroom. But, but what if he found his own corpse in there? What then?

"Oi, Enjou." The redhead barely heard Shiki's advice. "Dodge."

At the same time Tomoe froze, Shiki threw her knife and took the head of a man who was about to stab the boy with a giant screwdriver. Tomoe screamed at the violent sight while the kimono girl picked up her weapon and dashed out of the room.

"W-Wait!" The panicking boy quickly followed, however, what he saw shocked him. At the corridor outside of the room were a mob of people. They were inhuman-looking since their eyes completely white and their skin were in an abnormal color, as if they were-

"They are not human." Shiki's eyes glowed in blue as she awakened her Mystic Eyes. "Wait here, I'll take care of these small fries real quick."

She ran towards the fake residents and quickly took down almost twenty of them with martial arts and expert dagger skills. But she was suddenly caught off guard as a puppet grabbed her red leather jacket.

It was only after struggling with the assailant for a few seconds did Shiki successfully escaped his grasp, throwing away her jacket. She then kick the man alongside with two other incoming puppets off the Apartment Complex and intercepted an attack from another.

The kimono girl stabbed, cut, and cleaved the fake residents apart dexterously. She side-stepped as her honed senses detected an incoming flying object, narrowly avoiding an instant dead from a flying refrigerator.

More puppets came her way, this time all armed with metallic tools. She dodged a swinging wrench while chopping off the attacker's arm. She then leaped using the wall as support, surprising her opponents and killing multiple of them with correctly timed slashes.

A female puppet came up to Shiki with a kitchen knife, but failed to take her neck since its strike was too easy to predict. After a few exchanges, the kimono girl managed to cut both the assailant's arms off.

A child pounced at her and grabbed her legs, stopping her in place as a man with glasses rushed at her with a golf club. She parried the swing and cut off the child's head with a spin, she then quickly engaged the returning man with her knife.

With a flash, the last puppet was bisected at the waist and fell to the ground while unknown liquid sprayed out of the halved body.

"...In, Incredible-" Tomoe wasn't able to finish his praise since he noticed a figure standing in front of the kimono girl. "In front of you, Ryougi!"

"Ugh... when did he arrive here?" The man had appeared silently and without a trace. He was robust and he seemed to be in his forties. His hair was black and his eyes couldn't be seen as it was shrouded in darkness. The mysterious stranger exerted an immense pressure to the point of almost nauseating.

"This guy... I can't see his dead lines." Shiki eyes widened, did the opposite man not have any weakness or the concept of death? "...You... I know you..."

"That is right." The black-haired man pointed to a wound at the right side of his head. "It has been two years since we met each other."

"You are..." He was the person who attacked her before she was hit by a car.

"Magus, Araya Souren, The person who will kill Shiki." His face was ever-frowning. "How ironic. Normally, I would have done this after the experiment."

"You're the one who made this apartment complex?" The moon reached the sky's center as it shined down on the corridor. "For what purpose did you built this place?"

"This is merely an experiment." Araya stated a-matter-of-factly.

"So that means that repetition is a hobby of yours?" Shiki pointed her gleaming knife at the robust man.

"Repetition?" Tomoe asked.

"Enjou, this complex probably repeats the last day of all its resident. The day of their death." The redhead turned to Shiki after hearing her grave voice. "I told you, right? They died at night and are revived in the morning. This side is the storage for the genuine residents' corpses, and that other side is where the fakes' daily lives occur. Though I don't know what kind of sorcery he's using."

"I've made a world that concludes in a day. I was curious to see if humans could reach a different dead. I believe that a deviation will occur in the spiral if I repeat the same death thousands of times." Araya revealed his reasons. "But so far, the results have been the same."

"I see. So the Enjous aren't the only ones repeating death. " Shiki said without her usual satire. "It won't be enough for an experiment if it's only them."

"They were people who had everything destroyed in the first place." Araya continued. "Within a mere month, everyone killed each other and died."

"It's because you are the one who set up this apartment complex." Shiki mocked as her tone slowly turned solemn. "You pushed them into doing it. Then you shifted all the residents into puppets."

"...Puppets? Shifted?" Tomoe took a step back. "Then I'm..."

"Why do you want to kill me?" The dark-haired girl glared at opposite man while pointing her blade at his neck.

"Fujou Kirie and Asagami Fujino were both not effective." Araya ignored the young girl's threats.

"Huh?" The words sent tremors through Shiki.

"Despite being close to death, she chose death while you chose life." Fujou Kirie, the girl who caused the suicide spree and at the same time, the one who tried to kill Shiki and steal Mikiya from her had suicided by jumping off a building after the incident had passed.

"Putting an end to lives, she was supposed to enjoy murder while you respected killing." Araya's recalled a certain blonde-haired girl who possessed a Noble Phantasm. "However, there was a slight hindrance during Asagami Fujino's experiment, so I'd count that as a failure."

"Anyway, you should've realized..." The robust man started walking to the stunned pair. "They are similar to you, yet at the same time, they're murderers who conflict with Ryougi Shiki. They were sacrifices who were prepared just for you."

"You are..." Shiki furrowed her eyebrows in a deep frown.

"Enjou Tomoe was a fortunate find since he had made things easy for me." The footsteps got closer and closer until Araya stopped at their front. "Ryougi Shiki. Nothingness is your chaotic impulse and your Origin. See that darkness, and recall your name."

"The culprit!" Shiki yelled and leaped at the perpetrator of all the conflicts in the past few years.

"Fugu, Kongou, Dakatsu." Araya spoke out an incantation as a three layered Bounded Field completely surrounded him. Whips made out of unknown materials came out from the barrier and tried to catch Shiki mid-air. The kimono girl stared in surprise seeing the twisting mass. She was tangled by the whips and all attempts of struggle failed. "I, Araya Souren, shall take that body."

"Argh...!" Shiki cut off the left arm that tried to hold her head and blood spurted all over her face and white kimono.

"Taiten." At Araya's command, time was reversed as the spilled blood and fallen left arm were back into their original place. He then proceeded to grab the struggling girl's head. "You are inexperienced. Śarīra are embedded in my left hand. Not even the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception would be able to see the parts prone to death."

A Śarīra is the sacred remains of the Buddha. The one Araya had belonged to an enlightened one who achieved "becoming extinguished, alive", so it has a resistance to the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

The ability to kill it by slashing the lines of death would require Shiki to decipher advanced lines of death that are levels higher than the normal concept of death, so she was unable to view such vulnerable parts by looking upon it.

"I see... your face is not needed." Araya tried to pull the dark-haired girl's face off but his right arm and the bindings were abruptly cut off. The finally released Shiki rolled back and threw Araya's right arm to the wall. Seeing the Magus apporaching her, she retreated back further.

"Those eyes are a nuisance..." The robust man spoke coldly as if the wound he had received earlier was nothing. "It seems my priority should have been to crush those eyes."

"No, you should've realized the outcome earlier." Shiki stared at the ground, or to be more exact, the ground where Araya's Bounded Field was.

"Hmm?" The Magus stopped moving.

"Barriers are mere boundaries. So there's nothing that I can't cut." Shiki stabbed the knife into the ground and instantly breaking apart the Bounded Field's first layer.

"Hoh?" Araya started walking forward. "But there are two more."

"Again, you're too slow!" Shiki swung her arm to the side as a knife popped out from it. The blade was hidden inside the prosthetic arm Touko made. She then threw it at Araya. The flying weapon slid across the ground and severed the remaining two layers as it grazed the Magus' head.

 _Shlick_

Araya looked down and found that Shiki had approached him while he was distracted by the flying blade. She first stabbed him in the chest's center, and with all her strength, she skewered the knife into the man's neck, However.

"You don't know when to give up, do you?" The young girl widened her eyes at the opposite man's nonchalant attitude. He should be dead with the knife inside his neck, so why is he still standing?! "You will lose your way in the netherworld due to that, Shiki."

"How-" The kimono girl wasn't able to finish her words since Araya had kicked her in the stomach. The robust Magus then grabbed her head and threw her off the Apartment Complex. Tentacles came out of the building and caught the falling girl. They proceeded to throw her towards the wall which had a flesh-like texture.

"Ugh... My Origin is Stillness." A huge amount of blood starting to spurt out of Araya's neck and the frightened Tomoe fell down seeing Shiki absorbed into the wall. "You can't kill the time of over two hundred years that I've been alive."

"Dammit. Dammit. What is this? What is this?" Tomoe held his head and trembled. He then screamed when he heard the sound of metal coming into contact with the ground. Looking up, he saw that the knife had fallen off from Araya's neck. The flowing blood had decreased and the man's head was twisting in weird directions crazily.

Tomoe crawled to the dropped weapon and glanced up the the frozen man, staring directly at the Magus' eyes... However, he suddenly noticed that the man was staring right back at him. The redhead shrieked in horror and immediately ran away to escape the building, abandoning the young girl who tried to protect him.

"What a fool."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **This chapter is 99% canon.**

 **klim770, King of Plot Bunnies: LALALA~ I CAN'T HEAR YOU~**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	25. Hollowed Garden (Part 9)

_"So long, my ray of light."_

 _The words of the mysterious girl who lived inside that library resounded inside him._

 _"So long... my momentary dream."_

 _Opening his eyes, he found a pale young girl with long, black hair reaching her waist staring at him with worry-filled eyes._

 _"Dal-" He was about to call out to her, but discovereed that her Victorian-style black dress was covered in blood... her own blood._

 _"Yo-you are hurt...! Hold on, I can, I can fix this." He tried to stand up, but failed as he had used up all his strength earlier. "I can fix this...!"_

 _"...You need to go, now. The counter force will soon arrive." The girl whispered and touched his chin softly._

 _"No, wait-"_

 _"That's enough." She smiled sadly at him. "The longer I exist, the more people will try to cross the boundaries of the world. It's better if I am gone..."_

 _"I'm not leaving without you...!"_

 _"Really... you are too kind... However, I am sorry." Tears filled her eyes. She was no longer the flippant and rude girl that he knew. "My inner world is already collapsing... both she and I won't make it."_

 _"...For the last time._ _"_ _The pale girl passed him a golden key. "..._ _I ask of thee. Art thou mankind?"_

 _"...Yes, I am human..." He took the key and gave the girl one last farewell. "And I have always been one..."_

 _"Yes... that is the_ _#%^# I know of..." She returned his smile. It was her most sincere smile which he will never ever forget._

 _"_ _I am truly glad to have met you, #%^#..."_

* * *

 _Beep beep!_

Mikiya woke up at the sound of the alarm clock. He sat up and turned it off, looking at the date and time, it was November 10, 8:00 a.m. He quickly washed up and ran downstairs, heading towards the direction of his workplace.

Last night when he visited Shiki, she wasn't inside her apartment room. Although it was not unusual for the kimono girl to wander around the city at night, Mikiya was still worried about her since the bad premonition he felt at yesterday's noon was still haunting him.

However, what could have happened to someone as strong as Shiki? He and Miss Touko had went to check out the Ogawa Apartment Complex yesterday and found nothing strange excluding the building's distasteful decorations.

He suddenly shook recalling the event that occurred after they left the building.

...

 _Mikiya trembled at the woman who was screaming in rage. He and Touko had left the building a while ago and found out that a parking violation ticket was pasted on her favorite car's window._

 _"Why the hell did I get a ticket?!" Touko was furious as she yanked the yellow paper from her love car and ripped it into pieces. "Look at this empty space! No one actually passes through this road! What's wrong with me parking my car here?! Don't you have something better to do, you damn traffic cops?!"_

 _"Ah. Calm down, Touko-san." Mikiya attempted to appease the redhead but all he accomplished was switching the aggro target from the cops to him._

 _"Shut up!"_

...

 _Sigh._

"What really happened? Shiki..." Mikiya tried to call Shiki again, but all he heard was the same voice message. "...please be safe..."

The only thing he could do now is to ask his employer for help since no matter hard he tried, he was still a normal human who wasn't affiliated with the supernatural world. The black-haired boy clenched his fist and continued moving towards Garan no Dou with heavy steps.

* * *

"TA-MA-MO!" With a bang, the kitsune's door was kicked open as Circe rudely barged into her room.

"Hnn?" The Greek goddess paused immediately upon witnessing the sight of Tamamo and Kiyohime's strange looks. She was completely ignored by the pair because the two were trying their best at holding back their laughter at the third and fourth presence inside the room.

"You think that I didn't know you were sneaking out at night the past few months?" The Queen of the Land of Shadows was poking at a tiny black blob. "Acting at your leisure is inviting death. What is your aim? Speak. Come, speak. Speak quickly. Show it to me."

 _W-What is going on here?'_ Circe was speechless at the 'crime scene' in front of her.

"Uh, there's no need to poke him with the spear..." It was at this moment that she finally noticed the fifth presence inside the room. She hasn't notice Titus since he was standing at her blind spot. "I'm the one who let him out at night. It's an agreement I had made with Sir Geryon Ashborn, a Magus from the Clock Tower."

"Hm? You're the one who allowed him to run rampant in the alleys?" Scáthach stopped poking the trembling slime, it must have been really scared of the female Lancer.

"Yes, it's a synthetic beast Sir Ashborn is working on." Titus caught the black blob. It jerked once as if it was breathing a sigh of relief, that reaction was surprisingly humane considering that it was coming from a mass of unknown material.

"Didn't this thing killed innocent citizens?" The purple-haired woman furrowed her eyebrows. "Though I do not mind it, but you didn't seem to be someone who would perform experiments that can endanger human lives."

"I am not a hero of justice." The lone Master laughed. "But you don't have to get flustered, all the victims were criminals. Thugs, drug dealers, gang members, rapists, the usual bunch that no one would remember when they just disappear."

"Is that so?" Scáthach seemed satisfied with the answer. "Well then. Why are you here, Circe?"

"Ah, yes!" Circe felt like crying seeing that they have finally noticed her. It's not like she had Presence Concealment, right? "I am finally done with my ultimate creation!"

"Here it is!" The pink-haired girl pulled out a white box that came out of nowhere. It was decorated with a big red ribbon.

""""Ohhh."""" Titus and the other Servants clapped as they cheered blandly.

"You shall witness the crystallization of great magic, designed and baked by this goddess herself!" Circe had her head held high as she gestured her hand at her waist.

""""Ohhh..."""" Once again, the four clapped and cheered, although it was with less enthusiasm.

The pink-haired demi-goddess unveiled the contents of the box.

""""Oh-"""" Titus, Scáthach, Tamamo, and Kiyohime were silenced before they could cheer again.

It was a cake.

No. To be more exact, it was a chocolate and vanilla cake with strawberries and cream as its topping.

"This here, is the Infinite Cake!" Circe placed the 'Infinite Cake' on Tamamo's japanese-styled short-legged wooden table. She then turned to lecture the four about her great creation. "It can be eaten again and again, infinitely, as long as some parts of it remained. In other words, we will have unlimited sweets if we don't finish the whole cake every time we decide to eat it!"

"""""Ah.""""

"Huh?" Hearing the four, the Greek goddess turned around and glanced at her cake.

"..."

"..." Nobunaga, who was actually hiding beneath the table this whole time, was sitting beside the table.

"..." The cake was gone.

"...Hi." Traces of the cake were on the Japanese warlord's face.

"You." Circe pointed her quivering finger at the black-haired girl as she stared at the cream that was stuck on Nobunaga's mouth. "You... you...!"

"...Yes?" The cake demon answered in her finest innocent tone.

"You're dead to me!" The Infinite Cake, which she spent so much efforts to make, was completely eaten by Nobunaga...!

"See ya later!" The panicking girl immediately ran away when she saw the furious demi-goddess pull out her magic staff.

On that day, The building's residents were able to see a charred-black Demon King and a certain pink-haired Caster's live depiction of 'The Scream'.

* * *

Mikiya ran out of the exhibition center, trying to hold back his cold rage. He was having a conversation with Touko when the female Magus detected a magical signature crossing her Bounded Field. She had threw a ring that looked like it was made out of grass at him and ordered him to hold it.

"Don't wear it. Don't draw attention to yourself. Don't bump on anything. And not so much as a peep out of you. If you do it right, our uninvited guest will leave without even noticing you." She explained that the ring would make him invisible.

A man who was most likely in his twenties came inside the building exactly when Mikiya followed the puppet maker's instructions and stood at the corner. The man had blonde hair and blue eyes, typical of someone from an European lineage. He donned a crimson long coat and top hat while holding a wooden cane.

The man introduced himself as Cornelius Alba, a Magus who studied at the London branch of the Mage's Association along with Touko. Mikiya knew it was true since he had seen a picture of Touko, Alba, and an unknown Asian man in a picture three days ago.

The two Magi then proceeded to 'banter' on the topics of Akasha, the Swirl of the Root. Alba had found it uninteresting, even though it was the ultimate goal of all Mages out there, Touko included. Their discussion turned hostile when Alba admitted that he made the System of the Apartment Complex they had visited yesterday.

The conversation ended when Mikiya revealed himself since the blonde Magus confessed that they had captured Shiki. Alba had laughed and left the exhibition center after that, but not before telling Touko that he believed Mikiya was her apprentice.

"Calm down, Mikiya. I'll bring Shiki back tonight." Seeing her favorite employee's eagerness to save his crush, the puppet maker told him to stay out of trouble and departed from the building. However, the black-haired boy had completely ignored the redhead's warning and ran back to his apartment to prepare for a rescue mission.

* * *

To the west, an orange sunset blazed. Aozaki Touko sighed and entered the Apartment Complex. Instead of going up through the central elevator, she turned right and moved to the east lobby, discovering Cornelius Alba who was standing in the middle of room.

She dropped her suitcase onto the floor and a monstrous cat rushed out, swallowing the blonde Mage into itself. The magical creature flew around the room, but then it was suddenly stopped and knocked onto the ground.

"...So you have finally shown yourself." Touko glanced at the man who stood on the second floor balcony.

"It's been a while, Aozaki." Araya, who suddenly appeared, had saved Alba

"Yeah." Touko said. "I'm sure we didn't want to see each other though."

"It seems Alba did more than he should have." The black Magus commented emotionlessly. "He just can't let go of his hatred for you, doesn't he?."

"So?" Touko glared at Araya. "Would the Origin open here?"

"All the people I have gathered here are burdened with different deaths." Araya replied. "It could be said that it is a world that is on a smaller scale. I conjectured that the door to Akasha exists at the end of this repetitious world which ends in a day... But I didn't find the door."

"So that's why you took notice of Shiki?" Touko asked.

"Yes." The robust man affirmed without the slightest hint of remorse at the damaging events he had caused. "I used Fujou Kirie and Asagami Fujino so that the Counter Force wouldn't notice, and I made her realize that her body is connected of the Origin."

"But how will you open it?" The puppet maker caressed her cat familiar's head.

"I shall take that body." Araya answered.

"Huh?" Touko stared at the opposite man as if he was insane. "Don't tell me that you intend to transplant your brain into Shiki's body?"

"What a sick guy you are." She mocked seeing that Araya wasn't denying it. "Why do you go so far to open it? There might not be anything within it. The world might also collapse the moment you reach Akasha."

"...My reason is long forgotten." The robust man responded. "My wish will come true with a few more steps. Anything that stands in my way shall be regarded as the Counter Force."

"Hah. So the only option is for us to fight." Touko said with satire as her opponent started moving down the stairs and towards her.

"Araya, what do you seek?"

"True wisdom."

"Araya, where do you seek it?"

"Nowhere else but within myself."

"Go!" The monstrous cat rushed at the centuries old Mage, ready to tore him apart. Despite its extreme speed, it was blocked by Araya's three-layered Bounded Field. It tried to circle around the room and attack its opponent when he's off guard, however...

Araya pointed his open palm at the familar and clenched. The cat immediately froze and cried out in pain as its body started to distort. Within seconds, the Magecraft that Touko was so proud of was crushed into nothingness. The aftershock from the twisted space sent the redhead flying meters away.

"Damn, how many ribs did he break?" Touko coughed out blood while agonizing over her wound.

"Your puppet is gone now." Araya declared his victory while remaining on the stairway. "A puppet user has lost the instant her puppet loses. That's what you said back when we were students."

"I haven't change my theory." Touko, who should have been panicking, smirked. "But this is amazing. Being here is like being inside of your body, and you can crush any space at will. So I've already walked into a large spell the moment I entered building, huh?"

That is true. The entire Ogawa Apartment Complex was his workshop where his ultimate Bounded Field was set up. The building could be called the embodiment of his internal world, very similar to the concept of a Reality Marble, which gives him complete control over its internal workings.

Within the Apartment Complex, he gains the ability of instant teleportation anywhere within his Bounded Field, omniscience of any occurrences within the building, and the ability to crush space itself. The Bounded Field here has long since left the realm of Magecraft and has already breached into the realm of Magic.

"If you were so prepared, why were you cornered by Shiki?" Touko looked at Araya doubtfully. With his strength, he should have been able to easily beat Shiki with a simple bending of space.

"I would've crushed her if I had gone full force." Araya replied. Twisting spaces or any other methods he could use were too harmful since he needed Shiki's body in pristine condition.

"Ha! Just hope that doesn't turn out to be a bad choice." Touko's voice was filled with mockery. "Araya, there are three conditions to terrify someone. Do you know what they are?"

"One, the monster cannot speak." The redhead gestured the orders with her fingers. "Two, the monster had to be unidentifiable. Three, it's meaningless if the monster can die."

 _Swoosh!_ The red cat that should have been dead reappeared behind Araya and lunged at him, throwing him into mid-air.

"If you're going to kill, do it in one shot." Touko ridiculed while her familiar returned into the suitcase. "That's how you pull off a surprise attack."

 _Squelch._

"Huh?" The female Magus suddenly felt pain. She looked down and found an arm through her chest. Araya, who should have been lying dead on the floor, was behind her with his arm inside her chest.

"Kill in one shot, huh?" The robust man held his friend's heart in his hand. "I see, that was a good lesson."

"...Was that a puppet?" Touko spitted out blood and gazed at the ground near her suitcase. A man with Araya's appearance was sprawled down on the floor.

"Of course. And you are real." Araya whispered into the female Mage's ear. "There is no mistake to your heart's rage."

"This is unfortunate." He looked at Touko's heart as it was still beating furiously. "I accurately rated you because we once competed to reach the Origin. To be honest, I held you in high regard... However, you degenerated."

"That may be true... but I like my life right now." The puppet maker winced at the pain she was feeling. "...I like this spiral called daily life accumulated from many miracles and chances, so I merely tried to protect it as best as I can."

"Araya... what do you wish for?"

"I do not wish for anything."

"How pathetic." Touko chuckled. And with that, the robust man crushed her heart and decapitated her head.

"What a fool."

* * *

 **Estelotte:** **Silver Dawn Which Reflects the Moonlight's Depth**

 **Owner: ?**

 **Type: Anti-Unit**

 **Rank: C**

 **Range: 1~Infinite**

 **Maximum number of targets: 1**

 **A silver sabre that has the power to manipulate its wielder's concept of distance, granting them a power to move to a location instantaneously.**

 **However, it is not a form of spatial transportation but a type of transportation where the concept of "distance" is altered. Additionally, its power can only affect its wielder.**

 **Although the pseudo-teleportation is limited to one's vision, the Servant who wields this Noble Phantasm possesses the highest level of Clairvoyance, which in turn makes this weapon's potential to increase to an incredible level.**

 **This weapon will return to its owner when commanded, and the magical energy consumed for the usage of this Noble Phantasm is** **negligible as even a Servant with the lowest ranked Mana won't feel tired after using it thousands of times s** **ince their Mana regenerates faster than it is being used.**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So as I pray... Infinite Cake Works!**

 **Yesshhh. Finally, all my perks are above level 20 in Killing Floor 2.**

 **First Noble Phantasm revealed! And it's the one that he had used against Zouken!**

 **Also, who can guess what crossover the dream is from :o? It's one of his Noble Phantasms, btw.**

 **Darkjaden: Harem all the waaaayy. Though I actually regret it a little since it's quite hard to write about seven characters rather than just a single one. I had to research and look up their information and history, not to mention how troublesome it is to get their personalities right.**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	26. Hollowed Garden (Part 10)

**November 10, 1998, Night**

The time was 8:28 p.m. when Mikiya visited Shiki at her apartment. He knocked on the door and didn't receive any response, so after waiting for a while, he tried to enter the room on his own. It was at that moment that Tomoe, who ran away from the incident yesterday, opened the door and dragged the surprised man inside.

The redhead knocked Mikiya to the ground and pointed the knife that Shiki had used at his face. However, he was dumbfounded when he looked at the fallen man since he didn't know who he was.

"Who the hell, are you...?"

...

 _'I recall the day I came across the scene of carnage.'_

 _Thousands of ravens flew up towards the clouded sky and circled the mountain path where over a hundred corpses lied as a robust_ _black-haired man stood in this land of death. He crouched down and closed the horrified eyes of a young boy who was impaled by a katana._

 _"I can't save anyone." He muttered. "If I can't save them... then I shall at least record their deaths."_

 _'I cannot save any man, for I too am a man. But if that is what is fated, then perhaps I may be admitted, at least, to record death, to craft a morbid history of observance that suggests the cycle of souls. I would make a proof of lives ended and suffered.'_

 _"I shall collect deaths."_ _And so my chronicle of death began._

 _Whizzzz_

"...A dream?" Araya Souren woke up from his slumber at the sound of hissing steam. "Someone like me... actually dreamed?" How long had it been since he had dreamed?

"Araya! This isn't what you promised!" Alba called out while entering the room where Araya sat. "You told me that you'd let me kill Aozaki!"

"You failed." The sitting Mage replied to his frustrated accomplice calmly. "It could not be helped that I killed her if you couldn't even fight back."

"Kill? Don't make me laugh." The red coated Magus smirked, his voice filled with mockery. "Don't be so naive, she must still be alive and we should go kill her. Aozaki is a fox who was even called a dirty Red."

"Fool." Araya mocked back. "You said something you shouldn't have, Cornelius."

"What?" Alba caught the object throw by the opposite man. It was a glass container which held Touko's severed head.

"Take it." The black-haired Magus said. "I won't complain no matter what you do with it."

"...Ah... I certainly received it." The red coated man gazed at the floating head with love, a distorted form of love. "This is mine now. You don't mind what I do with it, right?"

"Do what you want." Araya ridiculed Alba, who was leaving the room cheerfully. "...Your fate is determined no matter what you do anyway."

...

Mikiya and Tomoe sat inside a white car as the black-haired man parked it in front of the Ogawa Apartment Complex.

Mikiya had brought the redhead to his former residence and helped the high school dropout confront his traumatic past. Tomoe had realized the mistakes he made as he saw visions of his painful memories. With the source of his traumas gone, Tomoe was able to stand up again, and the two then formed an alliance in order to rescue the kidnapped Shiki.

The pair wrote up a plan as they made their way to their destination. At 10:30, Mikiya will enter the front lobby as a decoy. While the black-haired boy distract their opponents, Tomoe will take Shiki's katana and go save her.

The redhead will enter the building through the sewers, which was connected to the underground parking lot, and slowly make his way to the tenth floor where Shiki was confined. It wasn't perfect, but it was the best they could come up with at the time.

As the clock hits half past ten, the pair immediately dashed toward their objectives. Unfortunately, Mikiya ran into Cornelius Alba the moment he went into the Apartment Complex. The red coated man was in joy to have met his target since he had decided to pay Touko's apprentice a visit after confirming her death.

The Magus then stepped out of the elevator and showed the black-haired boy the prize Araya gave him earlier. Mikiya was terrified as he watched Alba played around with the severed head. The Mage had destroyed the redhead's eyeballs and crushed her head into a pulp.

Mikiya tried to run away from the insane man, but Alba always managed to catch up to him no matter how far he ran. Understanding that his attempts at escaping were futile, Mikiya pulled out a silver dagger and tried to stab the chasing man with it.

This was the first time in his life that he tried to harm someone, and as one would expect, it failed horribly. Alba caught the knife with his hand while mocking the harmless boy. Caught up in his sadism and superiority, he proceeded to slam the unconscious apprentice's head against the wall repeatedly.

"I knew I was a fake." At the same time Mikiya ran away from Alba, Tomoe had arrived in Araya's workshop and found out that he was a fake. He was not the person known as Enjou Tomoe, but a mere replica puppet that Alba had made for Araya.

"How foolish. That emotion is all programmed, so why do you not understand?" The black-haired Magus explained as he revealed that not even the emotions and the love he felt for Shiki were real since the Mage had programmed him 'to feel interest in Shiki'. "You did escape out of this spiral. But remember, when did you wake up? Why were you attracted to Ryougi Shiki? Why did you ask a woman you didn't know for help?"

"I know that I'm a fake. I may not have a past, but I have a strong conviction now! I love Ryougi! Even if I'm a fake, this heart is definitely real!" Fortunately, thanks to Mikiya's prior encouragement, he was able to snap out of his despair and affirmed that he was 'real', because his feelings for Shiki was not and was never a lie.

"I enjoyed being with her. If you say you gave me that opportunity, I'll at least thank you for it." Tomoe argued that he didn't care about how he was a puppet. "Am I a fake, Araya?"

"There's no further need to talk." Araya went silent for a while before he replied. "Come if you want, I won't go anywhere."

"Araya... I swear, I will kill you." He cauterized his wound on a metal surface since his arm fell off earlier, and then headed to the elevator, where his final destination was. He ridiculed himself as he watched the elevator slowly goes up to the tenth floor

"Ah, how I wish this spiral was a paradox."

...

 _Scribble. Scribble. Flip._ _Scribble. Scribble._ _Flip._ _Scribble. Scribble._ _Flip._

Titus stood in the darkness of the trees while flipping through the pages of a book. He wrote down sentences occasionally as he browsed its contents. The tome was thick and its cover was colored in black and teal. Two golden crosses with a large unknown blue gemstone embedded in their center decorated both sides of the cover.

He smiled as he closed the book and watched it disappear into motes of light. Titus then glanced at the moving shadows beside him. The formless mass wiggled in joy seeing that its creator was paying attention to itself.

"It's time."

...

 _Cling._

"It's dangerous to stab someone." Alba removed the dagger from his hand and dropped it to the floor. "Dangerous... dangerous... dangerous... dangerous...!"

"That's right, it's always like that!" He slammed Mikiya head against the wall again and again. "Even when I was at the academy, all the honors belonged to me."

"But the higher ups were deceived by your attitude!" Recalling the experience he went through in the Clock Tower, Alba's face contorted. "Your arrogance to treat me as an inferior led them to believe that I am inferior... AOZAKI...!" The red coated man yelled as he slammed Mikiya against the wall one last time.

"Man, that hurt." Alba's outburst ended promptly the same as how his rage started abruptly. "If you want to know how much it hurt... I'd say that it hurt so much that I was about to cry."

"It seems Aozaki wasn't a good teacher." He harrumphed and stepped on the unconscious man's face. "Do you know? Out of the three colors the highest title the academy gives, Aozaki was given the title of Red."

"She wanted Blue as her name states (Ao = Blue), but she was instead given a vulgar color." The Magus continued his soliloquy. "It's because she is a faulty person who entered the academy to get revenge on her sister who stole the right of their family's succession!"

 _Tack. tack._

"Huh?" Alba turned around at the sound of footsteps. "You are...!"

"Don't say something like 'you should be dead', Cornelius." A satirical voice greeted the stunned man.

"No... You should be dead!" The sweating man took a step back at the figure before him. It was Aozaki Touko, whose head was just crushed by him moments ago. "Why are you here?!"

"I thought I rushed here... but I didn't make it, huh?" The supposedly dead puppet maker muttered as she glanced at her favorite employee, his head was bleeding very badly.

"It's obvious, right?" Touko sighed and turned her gaze back to the shocked blonde Mage. "I am Aozaki Touko's replacement."

"Replacement? You... are you a puppet?!" Alba pointed at the redhead and started his delusional speech. "No, you're real. Wait, no, if you're real then the one I killed must be..."

As an accomplished and highly regarded first-rate Magus who was also a puppeteer, he could tell that the woman, the Aozaki Touko who was standing in front of him, was undeniably real. There was no mistake behind the assumption he made...

"But then, that will be a paradox...!" Alba clasped his face in frustration. "What is really going on...?"

"...Hey, Cornelius." The red coated man was shaken out of his deep theorization by Touko's voice. "A few years ago, I created a puppet that was exactly like myself. Not a puppet superior than me, nor a puppet inferior to me. It was a puppet that had the same exact ability as I do."

"I saw it and thought..." The Grand Mage slowly disclosed the truth behind her appearance. "With this, maybe there's no need for me."

"E-Even if we assume that what you are saying is true..." Alba shouted with doubt. "Even if we could do something like that, we'll are supposed to always try to aim higher."

"If the puppet is exactly like me, then it will go on to the next step like I did even without me." Touko explained calmly. "As you can see, the result doesn't change."

"I see." The panicking Magus finally realized the truth. "That is why Araya kept you alive since the switch in your next body won't activate as long as you are alive."

"What you did earlier really hurt, Cornelius." The redhead held her left eye.

"The you I know until now... No..." Sweat continued rolling down Alba's face as he stared at Touko with apprehension. "Are you real?"

"Hey now, does that question hold a meaning when I'm the one you're asking?" The Red woman smirked broadly as she looked at the opposite man with contempt in her eyes. "To be honest, ever since our time at the academy, I haven't found your hatred to be a bad thing because it's proof that the person known as Aozaki Touko truly exists."

"But you called me by that name." She hated being called "Scarred Red", as it reminds her that although she wanted the colored title of Blue similar to her family name, she instead ended up with the colored title of Red. "It's a rule I have from before where I kill anyone who calls me a dirty Red."

The nickname implies that her given name of "orange" (Touko's Tou = Orange) is merely a tainted color of her title of Red, a pure primary color. She made a personal rule that whomever calls her that nickname would end up with a death sentence.

Touko dropped her suitcase to the floor as a dark mass that remained untouched by the light peered out with two shining eyes. The horrifying creature with numerous thorn-like tendrils and one thousand small mouths rushed out of the suitcase and lashed against Alba.

However, before the creature could reach the petrified Mage, a formless barrier was formed before him, saving him from being dragged into the suitcase and devoured. The monster tried to strike Alba again and again, but it all resulted in failure.

"Hmm?" Touko was taken aback since she didn't expect the red coated man to have reinforcement. It would be bad if Enforcers from the Mage's Association were there since she was a Sealing Designate.

"I'm impressed, to think that Miss Aozaki is in possession of an actual Demon from myths." A soft yet clear whisper came from the second floor balcony.

"You are..." Touko glanced up and widened her eyes. "Why is someone like you here? ...Alric von Leiqritus."

"Please, Miss Touko. As I said last time, call me Alric." The blonde man leaned against the terrace leisurely.

"Ah. Please call me Touko as well... Then, Mister Alric, may I ask why are you here?" The puppet maker calmed down as she put on her glasses, she was already in her 'businesswoman mode'. "As you can see, this is a feud between me and Cornelius. I hope you won't interfere with it."

Aozaki Touko is an individual with dual personalities, allowing her to change her personality depending on how she views the situation. She switches depending on her glasses. When wearing them, her facial expressions are calm and kind, and she is objective and ruthless. After taking them off, her facial expressions are very cruel and she is subjective and emotional.

"Unfortunately, I can not do that, Miss Touko." Alric walked down the stairs and moved to shield the tensed Alba from the unperturbed woman. "You see, I am here on someone's request."

"A request?" She didn't like where this is going. "May I know the details?"

"Ah, yes. I believe that you have the rights to fully know the situation." The blonde man pulled out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to the red-haired Magus.

"This..." Touko raised her eyebrows at the wax seal on the envelope. It was the emblem of Sponheim Abbey, an institution that worked closely with the Clock Tower. It was one of the many organizations formed by heretical Magi who were exiled from the Wandering Sea and the Atlas Academy and had no place left to go.

Though not powerful as the Three Great Branches, it was still considered an official Magi group, meaning that it at least has enough influence and resources to provide their members for their experiment and research. As for why she was so familiar with it... it was because Cornelius Alba was the next director in line of Sponheim Abbey.

 _'Cornelius, you lucky bastard...!'_ Touko smiled bitterly while reading the letter. It was written directly to her, asking her to forgive any offense Alba commited, and in exchange, Sponheim Abbey will compensate for her 'losses'.

Normally, she would have ignored the message with doubled as threats, but the man across her was someone she could not offend right now. The moment she decides to retaliate, he would report the incident to the Mage's Association. She would then need to flee the country since Enforcers and freelance Mages would be after her bounty.

As for silencing him? That's a even worse choice since she didn't know Alric's combat capability and the pursuers coming for her wouldn't stop at just mere greedy bounty hunters. If they fought and he survived, she was sure that first-class elite Mages would be after her.

And if he didn't... then the vice-director might just hunt the her down herself since the loss of such a valued member of the Clock Tower would invite her wrath. So for the time being, she could only grit her teeth and try to swindle as much as she could from the promised 'compensation'.

"All right, let's resolve this peacefully." The redhead sighed. She had weighted the scales and chosen to swallow her pride by walking the less violent path. If she start a war against Alric, she could end up truly dead by having all her puppets killed, or she could be sealed forever. As a Magus, she knew that it was simply not worth it.

"Ha, hahaha!" Alba laughed seeing the vexed Touko. He was no longer afraid of the woman since she couldn't hurt him anymore. The red coated man stood up and walked to Alric's side, thanking him. "Thank you. Thank you! Lord Leiqritus. I will never forget what happened today, and as the next director of Sponheim Abbey, I will definitely pay you back ten- no, hundredfolds!"

"I am glad to be of assistance, Lord Cornelius." Alric smiled as he gave the red coated man a noble salute. "May we have a great relationship in the future."

"Of course, of course!" Alba shook hands with Alric and laughed. "May we have a wonderful relationship in the future-"

All of a sudden, the Apartment Complex started trembling. Rubble started falling down as the Mages witnessed the entire building begin to collapse.

 _Crack Crack CRASH!_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Can you guess what that book he held was? It's related to the previous chapter's Noble Phantasm and it's from another series that's adapted into anime, light novel, and manga. Hint: ash grey nun**

 **I saw exactly 20,000 views when I finished writing this chapter o.o**

 **klim770: Contrary to what you think, I don't actually play FGO. I just don't find grinding appealing as I don't want to spend my time farming. Plus, I feel my wallet trembles every time I get the urge to start playing the game after seeing a new Servant released. I'll probably collect all the Servants if I ever start playing the game, so nope, never gonna touch that forbidden fruit.**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	27. Hollowed Garden (Part 11)

_Ding._

With a knife in hand, Tomoe stepped out of the elevator as he prepared to face the Magus in front of him. He knew this would become his final fight since he stood no chance against a Mage, but even then, he would do his best, because he was not a puppet, but a human.

"...I'm not going to kill you for Ryougi's sake." He pointed the blade at Araya with his remaining hand. "But I'm going to kill you for my own sake!"

The robust man deployed his three-layered Bounded Field and the redhead dashed towards him. Before Tomoe could even reach the halfway mark, he was bound by the whips that came out of Araya's barrier.

"My family, wasn't, bad enough..." Tomoe said while struggling against his opponent's Magecraft. "...to deserve dying like that."

"They weren't sinful enough... to die like that!" Miraculously, he was able to escape the bindings. Tomoe ran forward and successfully stabbed the Mage in his chest. However.

"Fool." Araya ignored his wound and grabbed the boy's head, holding him in mid-air. "You won't accomplish anything."

"Because your Origin is..." The man known as Araya Souren has the ability to see people's Origin and is capable of awakening their Origin as long as he receive their consent beforehand. In this case, he had seen Tomoe's Origin, which was."Worthlessness."

Prana flowed from the robust man's hand into the captured boy's head. With the activation of Araya's Magic Circuits, the red-haired puppet started to vaporize into steam until he completely disappeared into nothingness.

"...I was here." Enjou Tomoe was no more.

"So you came here." The knife and the extra key to Shiki's apartment fell to ground as the key evaporated, leaving only the knife on the floor. "Leiqritus."

* * *

During the confrontation between Touko and Cornelius, Alric entered the front lobby and discovered a clone of Araya waiting for him. The synthetic beast beside him growled at the robust man. Even though it knew it was in foreign territory, it still felt safe since his creator was with him.

"Good evening, Araya. I am here to complete our deal." The blonde man smiled at the emotionless Mage while trying to calm his familiar. He had promised to assist Araya in his quest to reach the Root, and in exchange, the gloom man would spare Asagami Fujino from going insane and becoming a serial killer.

"I can sense that woman." The still Magus glanced at the position where Cornelius was. "She's still alive? It must be that fool Alba..."

"You didn't tell him that she isn't that easily killed? Although she is currently weakened, the puppet maker still has her puppets." Alric patted the wolf-like beast.

Aozaki Touko has managed to create a perfect puppet imitation of herself despite the rule where 'Magecraft cannot create an automaton that contains the spark of humanity.' Even if her body was destroyed and her soul was severed, the next Touko would simply awaken without issue.

Due to the exactness of the puppets, the next Touko would awaken after the death of the previous one. It was possible to stall the awakening by keeping her brain active, even if the rest of her body was destroyed. However, Alba had crushed her head like a moron.

"Hm, It does not matter. She doesn't have the ability to fight against me at her present state." Araya watched the synthetic beast whined at Alric. He did not like the Alchemist since the man was a whimsical Mage who was not interested in reaching the Root. "Now, hand it over, and stall Aozaki for me. I do not want her to delay my process to the Origin."

"Ah, you are no fun. Don't worry, I'll hold my end of the bargain." The blonde man sighed and gestured for his familiar to follow the opposite man. "Alright, go now, I'll inform the test results to Sir Ashborn."

"I will see you after this." Araya looked at the leaving Alric, or to be more exact, he gazed into the blonde man, and towards his Origin. Excluding Ryougi Shiki, Alric von Leiqritus possessed the most extraordinary Origin he had ever seen. It must have been the secret behind his successes in Thaumaturgy. "The one who possesses the Origin of-"

"Argghh!" The man screamed in pain, he could feel that the building which was linked to his body was literally 'cut' by someone. Back at the tenth floor, the original muttered sensing that his clone had just dispersed. "Impossible..."

 _Ding._

The elevator door opened. The young girl dressed in a white kimono walked out with a sheathed katana in hand. It was Kanesada Kuji that Tomoe had left behind in the elevator.

"I don't understand." Araya spoke up hoarsely as he could still feel the horrible pain Shiki inflicted to him. "How can you move in that body of yours? Why did you wake up even though you are that wounded? Why weren't you unconscious for a few more minutes, Ryougi Shiki?!"

The Magus saw the young girl glanced down at the floor, where the knife lied. "...Enjou Tomoe, huh?"

"I didn't get any help from anyone and I woke up by myself." Shiki explained. "Even though there was really no reason for Enjou to come here, but remember, he is the one who brought you your ruin."

The original purpose of this Apartment Complex was to represent the Taiji in order to take in the Taiji. Araya had created this alien world to completely shut off Shiki from the outside world. However, he made a terrible mistake.

The barrier which secluded Shiki from space was certainly perfect. But something like that was useless against her since she was the owner of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, the pair of eyes which reached the realm of gods. It would have been easier to confine her in a box made of concrete because even fingernails can cut the lines of death.

"Hah!" Araya, who finally realized that Shiki escaped out of her imprisonment by cutting through space itself, immediately deployed his three-layered barrier.

"Why is it? I know we could have a close match and try to kill each other, but I can't laugh." The kimono girl continued calmly even after seeing the Bounded Field. "Oh, I get it. It's not because I want to kill you, it's just I can't stand your existence."

Shiki pulled out the katana and threw the sheath away as her eyes glowed blue.

"Shuku!" Araya tried to pulverize the young girl with the same technique he used to crush space, however, the space was slashed apart by her instantly. Whips came out of the Bounded Field and lashed out at Shiki. Unlike the previous time, Shiki didn't dodge as she merely stood still and destroyed all of them with her sword. She leaped at Araya, spinning mid-air and severing his right arm.

"You..." The Mage held his wound. He had discovered the reason behind her sudden strength gain. The power the young girl shown just now was leagues above what she has shown last time they fought. "I see. This is self-suggestion. So you can change yourself just by holding a weapon."

"You weren't fighting with your full potential against Asagami Fujino." His grinned. "We finally meet, Ryougi!"

Shiki dashed ahead and engaged Araya in close combat. His left arm which Śarīra were embedded inside was able to deflect the young girl's slashes, but he was slowly being pushed back. All of a sudden, the right arm which was severed earlier jumped at Shiki and grasped her neck.

She swapped the katana to a reverse grip and impaled the arm, releasing herself from it. The young girl then sliced the arm into three pieces. Araya took the chance to grab her head and threw her into the wall with Shuku. Using the flowing dusts as cover, Shiki lunged at Araya and pierced his chest with her blade.

"Fool!" The robust man hammered the girl away. Shiki rolled on the ground to soften her landing and charged at the Magus once again. "That wasn't enough to stop you?!"

The kimono girl swung her sword at the man, however, she discovered that he had already disappeared. She looked around and found out that Araya was nowhere in sight, he was not in the lobby nor the corridor.

"I'll never let you escape." It was at that time that she sensed the Mage's presence. He had moved to the building's outer walls through spatial transportation.

"I'll need to crush her along with the building to stop her...!" He pointed his fist at the Apartment Complex and clenched hard. The structure, which was entirely under his control, started to collapse as cracks appeared in the walls and roofs.

"This is kind of bad." Touko uttered, seeing that the high-rise was going to crumble. She picked up Mikiya and ran out of the building. Alric had healed Mikiya and stabilized his conditions earlier before he and Alba escaped.

Shiki vaulted over the railings and leaped off the building to chase after Araya.

"Ryougi..." The frustrated Mage noticed her. "Shiki!"

The katana was stabbed into his chest as the young girl reached him in mid-air. The pair yelled seeing that the ground was getting closer and closer. In the end, both of them crashed into the forest which surrounded the high-rise.

As the dust subsided, Araya's figure could be seen in a pit created by their hard landing. Shiki was a few meters away, still holding a broken Kanesada Kuji.

"...You look like a girl of your age like that." Araya said wryly after glancing at the unconscious girl.

"You failed again this time. But thankfully, Shiki was saved because of your barrier." Touko voiced out from beside the pit, she had came here after seeing the cloud of dust caused by their landing. The young girl had survived since she was lying on the robust man as he cushioned the landing with his barrier.

"Why do you force yourself like that?" The redhead questioned while she lit up a cigarette. "Why do you go so far to reach the Spiral of Origin?"

"...You can't save all humans. This is a story from a long time ago." Araya recalled that day, when hundreds perished on that mountain path. "You can't save every human being, so how can you save the ones who weren't saved?"

"There is no answer. But if I can open the Origin and end the world..." He remembered the despair on that young boy's face. "If I can record and observe all deaths until the end of the world... If I can observe the ones who aren't recompensed nor saved from the very start... The ones who died meaninglessly would obtain a meaning. And I shall be able to finally distinguish happiness."

"What really are you?" Touko asked.

"I'm nobody. I just want a conclusion. These ugly, dirty, filthy, and ignorant human. If that is all that will be left in history after they die off, I would be relieved to know that the value of humans is in their ugliness." The bleeding man explained.

"You want to eliminate all ugly humans for your sake." Touko sighed deeply for she understood that Araya viewed himself not as a man, but as the carrier of an ideal.

"But I was stopped when I was on the verge of discovery, again. Ha, mankind just don't know when to give up."

"It was unexpected that Enjou Tomoe was able to escape from this spiral, right?" The redhead said. "You created a technological barrier so the Counter Force wouldn't notice, but it was full of holes at that point. You were indirectly done in by Tomoe and the simple affection he still held for his family."

"Let me tell you something interesting." Touko continued as Araya started to vaporize. "A famous psychiatrist once had this idea of a collective unconscious. It's the idea of a big mental pool where all the archetypes of humanity's collective history and ideas reside. It's the storage of all the selfishness in this world. You see, in Buddhism, they call this Arayashiki."

"...Wh,at?"

"What a wicked inconsistency of the world. You were born into the world with the same name as the thing you detest." She sighed.

Araya coughed out blood. "...This body is at its limits."

"Are you going to start all over again?" Touko asked.

"I didn't prepare any spare bodies this time." The man answered bitterly as he glanced up to the night sky.

"Araya, what do you seek?"

"True wisdom." His arms faded into nothingness.

"Araya, where do you seek it?"

"Nowhere else but within myself." His left half vaporized.

"Araya, where are you trying to reach?"

But before he could answer, the last of the man known as Araya Souren wasted away. Touko watched the gray ash riding on the wind and took out another cigarette from her pocket and lit it. The smoke danced to and fro like an impossible, unreal illusion. She knew what the man was going to answer.

 _Beyond this paradox spiral of a world._

...

"True happiness does not exist, Magus."

It was only after Touko left with the injured Shiki did a man stepped out of the shadows. It was Alric, who held the same teal and black book. He crouched down at the pit where Araya had landed earlier.

"However, I have definitely heard your desire to save everyone.." The tome flipped open to a page, which he then written down some words into it.

"Lend me your power, O' Angel of Mysteries." The book then released a faint light and the space where the robust Magus previously disappeared distorted slightly. "But I can't let someone as dangerous as you resurrect even if it will happen centuries later."

"At the very least, I will remember you when no one else does." He turned around to leave the area. "Farewell, Araya Souren."

 _Whine._

"Oh?" Alric turned to the side and discovered the wolf familiar in a bush. "Looks like he didn't get the chance to use you. I guess I'll have to send you back to your owner later."

 _Whine whine._

"Let's head back." The man patted the beast and left the forest. He recalled the words Araya was going to say before he was wounded by Shiki, what a sick fate it was to meet someone who could see Origins after such a long time. How long has it been since the last time an individual learned of his Origin? However, it did not matter since Araya Souren will never return ever again.

 _"I will see you after this, the one who possesses the Origin of Limitlessness."_

* * *

 **Rasiel: Tome of Revelation**

 **Owner: ?**

 **Type: Anti-World**

 **Rank: A+++**

 **Range: 1~Infinite**

 **Maximum number of targets: Infinite**

 **A book that gives the user information about anything that has ever happened in the world, no matter where and when, making its user near omniscient.**

 **Its limitation is that the book can only give facts, not answers to its user's problems. It is also incapable of giving information about a person's inner thoughts and events that have not occurred yet.**

 **Everything written in Rasiel is fact, therefore, everything that its owner writes in the book will become reality.** **However, the ability to change the future is not absolute as skills such as Magic Resistance and Divinity are able to resist it to a certain extent.**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **The Forest is coming out of Early Access :o**

 **Stratos: It's here!**

 **klim770: I hope you will get her. And I'm not sure about that~**

 **Paxloria: Thanks for pointing out the mistakes! I have fixed it now!**

 **Guest:** **You will probably not like this novel if you don't like it so far. The main character is already someone at end-game and the flash backs are mostly to introduce crossover elements into the story.** **You can even consider him as an important original support character rather than the main character since I needed someone to act as an anchor so that I can easily insert crossovers (In this case, you can even consider the story to have no main characters but a bunch of important support characters). The current and the next arc are supposed to introduce the world of Type-Moon since not everyone knows the details, for example, Rita Rozay-en was the one who made the Mystic Eyes Collection Train, which passes through a seedling of the Forest of Einnashe.**

 **And I do not like how you call a logical person a dick. As I have stated in earlier chapters, I am writing my OC as a realistic and logical person, and those types of people are boring but they get the job done without taking risks. The benefits he would receive by becoming Cornelius Alba's lifesaver far outweighs the benefits Touko can give him. It's the difference between vast influence and authority versus extreme skill in Magecraft, so there is no reason he would help Touko and befriend her when he is already superior than her at everything she can do. Not to mention that there are four Heroic Spirits who are skilled in Magecraft on his side, i.e. Touko knows three Primordial Runes but Scathach knows all of them.**

 **With that out of the way, I can see some say that the MC is boring and I agree with that. I'd say he is someone who wanders between the border of rationality and irrationality, in the first place, who would you refer to as a rational person? It's the same thing with right and wrong, order and chaos, black and white.** **Okaaay, I think I went a bit off topic. So to be honest, I'm not writing this fanfic for others, but mainly for myself as a hobby, and I'm just sharing it with others online, so thanks for the review anyway!**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	28. Epilogue II

**A Week Later**

"Magic?"

Within A Magician's Taste sat Asagami Fujino and Alric. Half an hour ago, the man had approached the violet-haired girl and offered her an opportunity to study an art he referred to as Magecraft. She didn't understand much, but still followed him to the coffee shop in order to hear more details.

"No, not Magic, but Magecraft." The Mage sipped his black tea. "Unlike Magecraft, which brings about what is possible through science with supernatural means, Magic is the actualization of events that are impossible to reproduce with human hands."

"You can project a stream of fire with the Art, but you can also get the same result with a flamethrower. However, you can't travel through time or perform spatial transportation with the current technological level." He precisely explained. "Although the process of Magecraft is considered a miracle, the end result is not. But Magic is entirely miraculous."

"I understand." Fujino attentively nodded. "Then I can use Magecraft?"

"Yes, and no." Alric stared into the young girl's nervous eyes. "Thaumaturgy is just like the subjects you learn in school, you need to have the knowledge and experience in order to successfully execute it. It is dangerous for a novice to use Magecraft since it is akin to playing with fire. In fact, it is a lot more dangerous than playing with fire."

"Then what should I do?" The Asagami heiress meekly asked.

"This is why I offered you an opportunity to learn the craft." Alric coughed to get her attention. "You possess quite an amount of Magic Circuits. Well, it might be because you are a descendant of the Asakami Demon Hunters."

"Your Mystic Eyes of Distortion straddles between the line of Magecraft and Psychic Power. Not to mention how potent the pair you owned are, I can plainly see that you are extremely talented in the reenactment of miracles using Mysteries." He continued.

"You have a total of 35 Magic Circuits which are all near high-quality and your maximum output is of 700 units of magical energy." He took another sip from his drink. "You can already be considered a genius who will become a first-rate Magus with enough training."

"With my lessons, you will definitely become proficient enough to utilize Magecraft in a short time." Alric offered Fujino a handshake. "So what do you say? Take my hand if you wish to become a full-fledged Magus and become a part of the moonlit world."

"I..." Fujino glanced at the opposite man anxiously. Though her body couldn't help but tremble in excitement as she recalled that night's scene, where she fought against Ryougi Shiki. The moment she took his hand, she would be involved with the supernatural world again. "I... Yes. Please take care of me, Master Alric!"

The smile she gave him that day was exceedingly brilliant.

* * *

 **1999**

Time passed and it's been two months since the destruction of Ogawa Apartment Complex. Despite the collapse of a huge structure, the citizens did not panic since the entire incident was covered up by the blonde Alchemist.

Semiramis, Scáthach, Circe, and Medb have also returned from their second trip to Europe. Although the group noticed the deteriorating Mystery, they were still impressed by the wonders of modern technology. Science had steadily replaced the supernatural and Magecraft might cease to exist in the near future.

On the first day of January, Titus made his way to Reien Girl's Academy in Misaki Town to meet a certain individual. In a meeting room decorated with vintage wooden furniture was a black-haired man who wore glasses.

His name is Kurogiri Satsuki, a Sealing Designated Mage who was nicknamed the 'Book of False Gods', 'Master of Babel: Unified Language Master', and 'Godword May Day'. He was also the Magus who is closest to Magic. He is said to be the only person in the world who was able to speak the ancient Unified Language, which connected to the Root itself.

"Hello, Sir Kurogiri. It's my honor to meet the Unified Language Master." Alric gave Satsuki a noble salute before sitting across him.

"You do not have to be so courteous. Even though I know the ancient language, I am still a failure as a Magus." The man greeted the Grand.

"Ah, then excuse me Mister Kurogiri." He pulled out an envelope and handed it to the opposite man. "Let's not waste words and get to the reason why I came here today."

"Quite frank, aren't you? Sir Leiqritus." Satsuki opened the envelope, finding a plane ticket and a certified check inside. "This is..."

The ticket was for Wales, his country of origin, and the cheque was for two and a half million yen, which equaled to around twenty three thousand United States dollar.

"I suggest you leave Japan, Mister Kurogiri." Alric gestured at the plane ticket.

"May I ask why?" The glasses-wearing man looked at the Alchemist quizzically.

"Although this is confidential, but I will tell you for your own sake." The blonde Magus cast a barrier which prevent the leakage of sound. "Your Sealing Designation will be revoked soon."

"Um?" Satsuki was caught off guard at the shocking news. Kalion Observatory, the Secret Judgment Division of the Mage's Association had branded him for his unusual talent, and he believed that he had to hide from Enforcers and bounty hunters for his entire life.

"Multiple Sealing Designations, including yours, will be revoked at the end of the 20th century." Alric smiled at the stunned Mage. "This is restricted information, so please do not inform anyone of it."

"...Then why are you asking me to leave this country?" The Welsh calmed down and questioned. "I am safe here since no one except you know my present location."

"You will be killed." The Alchemist candidly replied. The loss of such a talented man was disadvantageous to all Magi since it would slow down their path to the Root.

"I will be... killed?" Satsuki furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"

"As you know, Araya Souren is dead." Alric explained. "His killer, Ryougi Shiki, is coming to this place in order to investigate the incident of people losing their memories. You should stop playing around and leave before you get killed, Mister Kurogiri."

The room descended into silence. The Unified Language Master was the perpetrator behind the accidents that occurred in Reien Girl's Academy. The black-haired girl would definitely hunt him down if he was exposed.

The language of ancient Babylonia is spoken directly through the soul resonating with the Root, allowing it to act as a powerful form of telepathy and hypnotism. Despite mastering the lost language, he was very weak as a Magus and was unable to use the Unified Language for combat in any way.

"...Sorry, but I will not withdraw from my current position." Satsuki sighed. " _ **Please vacate the academy.**_ "

"I understand. Then please keep the ticket and the money if you ever change your mind." Alric didn't question the Welsh's decision. He simply said goodbye to the man and left the room.

"What a guy." Satsuki stared blankly at the spot where the Alchemist sat. The Magus chuckled remembering the blonde's parting smirk as he realized that his words didn't work on the man.

Titus, who was already outside the building, glanced up at the blue sky. "So in the end, you chose to be lost in the past and _Nostalgia_?"

* * *

 **2 Months Later**

It was on a spring day in March when a European man dressed in black vest and white shirt knocked on the door to a huge western mansion. In his hand was a fine black leather suitcase which was surprising cool even after bathing in the warm sunlight for a long time.

"You are?" A young girl answered the door. She has long black hair tied into a half up, and a pair of piercing red eyes.

"Hello, little miss. I am a member of the Clock Tower, here on behalf of your late father." A blonde man greeted the girl as she welcomed him into the house. "He wishes for me to tutor you in Magecraft and advance Black Magic when you reach the age of twelve."

"...My father?" Waves appeared in the polite girl's eyes, and it didn't go unnoticed by the man. Her father had died in a magical ritual in Siberia five years ago. Despite being a respected Noble Magus Lord, he was a loving and caring father who thought of her as the most important thing in the world, as both his heir and daughter.

And due to the shock of her father's death, her mother had passed away from sickness during winter a year later. At the moment, she was the only one living in this spacious mansion. However, The young girl was strong and tenacious. She would not grieve nor cry because she was now the head of the family.

"Yes, he decided to hire me before leaving for Siberia as a contingency in the unlikely chance of his death." The man expressed his sympathy and handed her a letter with their family seal. "It is truly unfortunate that he had perished in the ritual."

The young girl stood in silence. She found out that her father still cared for her. The black-haired girl had originally believed that her father had left her and her mother behind since there was no words for them in his testament. Even though all his fortune was transferred to her, what she actually valued was for him to tell her that he genuinely loved her.

"Will you be teaching now?" The young girl composed herself. "Mister..."

"Alric." The blonde Alchemist smiled kindly. "Alric von Leiqritus."

"Master... L-Lord Alric?" She fidgeted uncomfortably at the man's gaze as she realized that he was a Noble Lord, a status which equaled her father's.

"There is no need for honorifics." He followed the black-haired girl to the living room, which was luxuriously decorated with vintage western furniture. Most of them were made out of wood, including the tea table that was located between the sofas they sat. "You can simply call me Alric"

"Yes, Lord-." The young girl stammered. "Yes, Alric."

"I will visit you thrice a month, every ten days, and six hours each time." The blonde man sat on the sofa while he gestured for the girl to do the same. "The lessons will be separated into two parts. Four hours of theories and two hours of experiments and practices."

"When I leave, I will hand you with a task that you must complete before our next class." Alric spoke sternly. He was going to teach the young girl just like how he was instructing Rin, Sakura, Caren, and sometimes Reines. "Do you understand?"

"Yes." She hurriedly nodded in agreement.

"Good. I am a busy man, so let's start with our first lesson right away. I'll test you on the basics." He pulled out a textbook from his suitcase. "Do you understand the purpose of performing blood sacrifice rituals everyday?"

"Reiroukan Misaya."

* * *

 **Half A Year Later**

Time passes quickly and it was now September. Piled upon the dew covered grass the crusty brown leaves whirled around in a circle like a small tornado sweeping the beautiful garden as the surrounding trees were beautifully colored in different shades of red, orange, and yellow.

Amidst the ethereal haven was Titus. The white-haired man stared at the magic circle which was carved into the center ground. Finding no errors within the ritual, he breathed in and started to feed Prana to the circle. Seeing that the magic circle was glowing, he increased the Prana level to an insane degree, which promptly illuminated the entire area.

"Let silver and steel be the essence.

Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation.

Let black be the color I pay tribute to.

Heed my words.

My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny.

If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer me.

I hereby declare!

That I shall be all the good in the world.

That I shall defeat all evil in the world.

From the Seventh Heaven, clad in the three great words of power,

Come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Heavenly Scales!"

Surging wind and blinding lights engulfed the courtyard as the summoning process was successfully completed. The overflowing magical energy settled and the light dimmed down, revealing the figure of the Servant who was summoned.

"Servant, Caster. I came here in response to your summoning request." Caster was a beautiful girl, having long white hair and a fringe covering her icy blue eyes. She wore an ornate white gown and a white fur cape with gold designs and blue lining on.

"Welcome to the modern era." Titus smiled widely. Five years before the Fifth Holy Grail War, the first Servant had appeared, summoned into the Caster-class, she was the youngest daughter of Nikolay II, the last Tsar of the Russian Empire. She was...

"Your Imperial Highness, Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Next Arc: Tsukihime**

 **I'm going to take a break before starting the next arc~ See you in a year-, ok, maybe not that long...**

 **Guest, Paxloria: Thanks for the support!  
**

 **Stratos: Yes! His Origin is Limitlessness.**

 **superpierce: It is canon. It was never mentioned in the movie, but you can find it in the Light Novel during the conversation between Touko and Araya before his death in Volume 5.**

 **Saberfang Orcalodon: I don't quite get your question, did you mean to ask where is Titus? In case you miss in during Fate/Zero's Epilogue, Titus and Alric are the same person. Both Titus and Alric are fake names used by him.**


	29. Creatures of the Night (Part 1)

_**Gunshots fire.**_

 _'Aah. This is, your dream huh.'_ The person dreaming opens their eyes to a grey scene of soldiers looking down towards them.

 _Pain that intensifies with every second. Fear that pulls you in, a ridiculous sense of chaos. And. A rising, great hatred towards the sneering soldiers. In that moment, pain inverts into pleasure. I'll kill you all, so the girl **I** prayed._

 ** _A repulsive, inhuman voice screeches._**

 _Ahh, this voice has always, always been by my side. Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Alexei, Papa, and Mama never noticed it though. I could always hear this voice. Whenever I played pranks, whenever I climbed trees._

 _...but, I knew that it wasn't a guardian angel or anything like that. Because right now, like this. I am dying. Three seconds from my death, all that 'he' does, is just watch- closely, watch me._

 _A fantasy being that was summoned to my killing intent. The monster with demonic eyes that only shows itself to those of the Romanova bloodline, and carrying its accomplishments._

 _They battered the girl's **my** body. Burned it. Buried it in the earth. Even as my clothes tore to shreds, my flesh beaten up all over, and buried into the soil it still...- It only had the consciousness, to grasp what was happening. Therefore, those soldiers that had accomplished their task, will never find repose._

 _'I am watching, dear Anastasia.'_ Titus uttered.

 _I won't kill you, I'll let you continue living in fear._

 _Viy **I am** is watching you._

 _Your sins will continue to rampage. Continue to gouge out your confessions. Because, I am always watching. I'm always watching until you die._

 _Always, Always, **Always...!**_

 _...Ahh, enough. I can't remember anything but the dark sky..._

* * *

The day begin to brighten and I smile as I watch the sun slowly rise up to the sky.

The blazing orange in the sky lights up the town as its radiance reflects off mirrors and metallic surfaces, bathing the entire town in glimmering sparkles. The early birds fly through the cloudless skies while trying to find worms to feed their young.

The town's residents wake up from their slumber and ready themselves for the day. The houses lit up as mothers work hard to prepare the family's breakfast, fathers read the daily news and sip on their coffee, daughters and sons look forward to a new school day.

This East Asian country is one of the most beautiful nation I have seen through the ages. The seasons perfectly change according to the year's time and the citizens welcome new technology while still embracing their olden traditions.

The people are cheerful and help each other in their daily lives. Their cultures are different and various, the people do not suffer from hunger nor pain, living fulfilling lives as the police force protects them from the cruelty and savagery the people from long-ago have to go through.

Truly, this land is peaceful. I am both envious and happy seeing it. The strong wins and the weak perish as only the strong is justice, the logic which applies to everyone from the past is no more.

In the modern era, the strong no longer tramples on the weak, and no one has to worry about surviving and risking their lives every time the sun rises. Education and life supports are provided by the government, even an average person is able to both read and write.

Minimum human rights is granted to the citizens in every country. Though some may suffer, at the very least, it is many times better compared to the times when a mother has to sell her body everyday just to feed her child.

In this land, happiness is taken for granted. So why would you complain when you receive the essentials a human needs while still having the prospect to chase after your dreams without interference? Why does human greed even exist when they are given chances to their desires?

The answer, I have long reached. But the question will never leave me. I wonder, what of the future? Will it be one which was occupied by endless destruction as before, or will it be one which is rescued by a miracle?

"There you are, Master." I turn around as I hear a clear and authoritative voice. The youngest princess of the Russian Empire has found me. Looking at her smile, I can clearly recall the bitter and cold disposition she had when I first summoned her. Anastasia had really changed a lot since then.

"I look all around for you." We are currently near the summit of the mountain which overlooks the city. After her summoning, I had helped her adapt to the modern era and explain to her me and my companions' objective for the Fifth Holy Grail War.

The young princess had been doubtful of our unusual goal at first, but she quickly accepted it after a few days... she must have been through the dream cycles like everyone else.

Is she sympathizing with me? She may think so seeing that she was someone who had went through harsh experiences. Killed by her trusted subjects, the young girl was murdered at the Ipatiev House along with her family, servants, and pet animals. No one was spared.

However, princess, what do you see? Do you see a crumbling man, or do you see someone who is shining like the star?

"I apologize, Your Imperial Highness. I was supposed to show you around town but I ended up going off alone." I bow slightly and glance at the city below one last time before stepping down the mountain edge, and towards the pouting snow princess.

"Didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?" She harrumphs cutely. Her expression... it reminds me of someone I once knew. "You don't have to use honorifics. Just Anastasia is fine."

"Yes, I understand. Anastasia." I chuckled, amused at seeing her blushing face. It always work when you catch them off guard.

I came here with the newly summoned Caster-class Servant with the purpose of showing her the present era's state. In fact, only her and the holy woman remained in this island country since the rest had departed to Europe in order to prepare for the next war. It can be said that I am here to 'bond' with her as Master and Servant.

"Shall we?" I extend my hand. She clasped it and I pulled her downwards forcefully.

"W-Wait!" I laughed at her panicking face. Dust flew as we slide down the mountain slope, we almost hit a protruding rock along the way. I call for the silver sabre and at the next moment, we arrive at the courtyard of the residence I bought.

"You..." Ah, the young girl is frowning hard, was the experience too extreme for her? She might explode any second now...

"Let's go explore the town~!" I certainly do not want to confront an enraged Anastasia. So I pull her into a princess carry and immediately run out of the metal gate.

"Wait! I said, wait!"

* * *

 **Eighty years before the present time.**

"I ask of thee..."

"I ask of thee, Art thou mankind?" The young girl smiled contentedly. The metal box, which was bound around the chest area of her armoresque dress. The lock that was attached to the girl's choker with silver chains. That lock faintly shone and declared with the raspy voice of an old woman.

 _'Nay. We art the Realm, the Endless Realm within thine Vase'_

A faint light leaked from the chest of the young girl, wrapped in black. The source of the light was her skin. Her collar, which used to be covered by several layers of frills, now revealed her white skin. Once could see a slim neck and delicate collarbones, resembling the wings of a little bird. Furthermore, a chest, devoid of bulges, resembling the one of a boy.

In the middle of it. Above her solar plexus, where her heart should be, there was a rough metal body. This was the first time he noticed, noticed that the lock on her chest had not been attached to her dress. It was lodged directly into her snow-white body. The girl stopped any kind of movement whatsoever and only let out a weak sigh.

"Uh...!" As if someone was calling him, he stretched his arm towards the keyhole. He inserted the key into the girl's chest and slowly plunged it in. The girl stopped any kind of movement whatsoever and only let out a weak sigh.

With a rattling noise the lock opened. It swung open to both sides like a gate. Hidden behind it was a hollow space. A hollow space surrounded by the faint light. An endlessly deep hole. From the middle of her soft white chest protruded a big void. A deep, deep, empty space, that seemed to pierce her slim body.

 _"-The labyrinth library, which seals nine hundred and six hundred sixty-six thousand phantom books. The gate to knowledge hath been opened-"_

...

"Is it that good?"

The young girl munched on the fried bread. She turned to the side and saw her partner's questioning look. "Of course it's good! How can you not understand this heavenly taste? This crunchy texture and the salivating fragrance, it's the best thing in the world!" She harrumphed and lectured the young man.

"That is fine, Dalian, but we are running late." He smiled wryly and clasped her hand. "It's time to go."

"W-What are you doing." The young girl's cheeks reddened while trying to free her hand from the man's grasp. "Let me go! I can walk by myself!"

"Alright." He released his grip and exited the bakery, which was filled with people looking to buy the famous fried bread. The First World War had only ended a while ago and the streets of England was once again in peace.

Gentlemen were smartly dressed in suits and hats while the fine ladies were dressed in long dresses and skirts without exposing their legs. Even though the weather was boiling hot, the men and boys still kept their coats, jackets, and ties on.

The young man put his bowler on and moved towards to center of the city, where the biggest church stood. Passing the white chapel, he headed east along the damp streets and finally arrived at his destination.

The mansion was elegant and neat. Its size was rather small compared to the high nobles' residence, but it was remarkably larger than what commoners lived in. He passed through the white gate and fence, a refined greenhouse could be seen at the building's side.

"W-Wait!" Dalian was out of air. She grabbed his coat and tried to take in as much air as she could. "You cold-hearted man! Why did you leave me behind like that!"

"Weren't you the one who said that you didn't need my help? What? Did you get lost?" The young man teased. "I thought you could at least follow me. Did I perhaps misjudge your ability, Milady?"

"Wa-Wa, wa." Dalian blushed in embarrassment since she could not refute what he had just said since she did in fact almost lost her way. If not for her spotting the unique hat and hair color he had, she'd definitely not be able to arrive here. The white-haired man wore a bowler decorated with a multi-color feather from a species of bird even she had never seen before.

"Come on, Dalian. We have a task to complete." His patted the blushing girl's head and his smile widened seeing her cute pout. "This time, we are going vampire hunting."

"Yes." She frowned after hearing their target. "I don't like those bloodsuckers. They treat human lives as trash and think that they are so high above the clouds just because they have superior physical and magical potentials."

"I agree. That is why I could never forgive them." The young man's eyes seemed to glow as he blankly stared into space. "These pests to humanity..."

* * *

Dead Apostle.

They are humans who became vampires either by the use of Magecraft or by the actions of another vampire of similar nature. Among the creatures that fall under the vampire category, they are the most numerous.

And among the Dead Apostles, those who are classified as Ancestors are particularly powerful. The Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors are the aristocratic elite of the vampires. They are very powerful beings, and many have the ability to utilize Reality Marbles.

Their titles and names are:

1\. The Beast of Gaia, Primate Murder

2\. The Original Dead Apostle, The Dark Six

3\. Ultimate One of the Moon, Brunestud of the Crimson Moon

4\. The Second Magician, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg

5\. Ultimate One of Mercury, ORT

6\. The Black Knight, Rizo-Waal Strout

7\. Disemboweling Sea of Trees, the Forest of Einnashe

8\. The White Knight, Fina-blood Svelten

9\. The Eclipse Princess of Black Blood, Altrouge Brunestud

10\. Nrvnqsr Chaos, Fabro Rowan

11\. The First Wraith, Stanrobe Calhin

12\. ?

13\. Night of Wallachia, Zepia Eltnam Oberon

14\. Van-Fem of the Demonic Castle, Valery Fernand Vandelstam

15\. The Artist's Lady, Rita Rozay-en

16\. The Black Wing Lord, Gransurg Blackmore

17\. The White Wing Lord, Trhvmn Ortenrosse

18\. Knight of Vengeance, Enhance

19\. ?

20\. Crown, Merem Solomon

21\. The Water Demon, Sumire

22\. ?

23\. ?

24\. Refraction, El Nahat

25\. ?

26\. ?

27\. Dead Apostle of the Millennium Lock, Caubac Alcatraz

Their general rankings are not determined exclusively by how powerful he or she is individually, but rather the paramount danger he or she poses to humanity. Those within the first ten ranks cannot be defeated by normal concepts, as they, themselves, are fantasy much like members of the Phantasmal Species.

Those who live in fantasy can only be defeated by fantasy that is greater than themselves. Furthermore, for those who have reached the Ancestor class, it is possible to exist as a phantom even after losing the physical body.

The Holy Church mainly target these vampires as the Executors of the Burial Agency, an organization created for the purpose of stopping the spreading of the heresy known as vampires, exterminate the Dead Apostles and seal The Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors with their utmost efforts.

Lastly, unique existences even among the vampires are the True Ancestors. They are incarnated nature spirit and vampiric creatures from birth, however, unlike the Dead Apostles and other blood-sucking species, the root of their bloodlust is psychological rather than physical.

Also, because they are part of nature, they can use the power of Marble Phantasm to change the world around them accordingly to their thoughts. They can be classified as a type of large fairy and their Foundation is of a Mystery that cannot be reached through Magecraft. They are said to be Planet-class Spirits, a rank higher than Divine Spirits.

As the White Princess awake from her slumber and walk amongst man once more, innocents shall be devoured and join the unlife as the setting of the sun marked the start of the conflict between the last surviving True Ancestor Princess and the Dead Apostle Ancestors within this peaceful and quiet mountain town.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Credits to** **roadromancer for translating** **Cosmos in the Lostbelt No.1.**

 **Me lazy. Me no write fanfic. C:**

 **klim770: I'm using Prototype characters with slightly altered background so they can fit into the story while having similar history.**

 **Stratos263: Me too, I wonder how it will go~**

 **ZooFan: I'll try to do better when I write the Fifth Holy Grail War. To be honest, the Kara no Kyoukai and Tsukihime arcs are for laying down foundation for the upcoming arc. I'm using them to introduce new characters and to go more in depth with the existing ones, though I'm getting kinda lazy and probably won't write more slice of life.**


	30. Creatures of the Night (Part 2)

_"Hey."_

 _"Hey, Hey! Old geezer!" A child ran into a wooden hut and shouted loudly. "_ _Teach me how to use the sword!"_

 _"...Do I look so old to you?" A young man came out from the back and sighed._

 _"Yeah! Look at that white hair! You must be as old as my grandpa... though I don't see any wrinkles on your face, that's weird." The kid furrowed his brows._

 _"Hahaha. Alright, 'young man'. Answer me, why do you want to learn the sword?" The white-haired man chuckled._

 _"Of course it's because I want to become a heroic knight! I'll beat up those bandits and one day, I will save the princess!" The kid swung his hands around as if he was fighting off a bad guy while dual-wielding._

 _"A hero...?"_

 _"Yeah! A hero!" The boy reaffirmed._

 _"I see..." He looked at the kid with resignation and went to pick up a wooden sword._

 _It's best if you just stay in the farm and spend the days in peace, but I cannot stop you. Yo_ _u will only be another casualty of war, died as a nameless and insignificant soldier. However, I shall teach you the way of combat, so at the very least, y_ _ou won't die unremembered._

 _..._

 _War._

 _Another country descended into war. Civil war, foreign invasions, vulture-like mercenaries, farmers-turned bandits, fleeing refugees, greedy nobles, declining royals, unsatisfied citizens, incited rebellions, many reasons have sparked the beginning of this conflict._

 _The young man wandered through similar battlefields countless times. He witnessed the inhumane savagery that the human species could do during these despair-filled conditions. All that was needed in order to overturn this bloodshed, is a single spark of hope._

 _So he granted them hope, in the form of seven Dragonic Weapons known as the Viralts, sacred weapons created from the deceased Dragons that consisted various elemental powers. He presented the seven treasures to the grown up boy, who would later use them to liberate the land and establish the Kingdom as its first king._

 _"Another country saved."_ _The young man muttered and left the war-torn land without looking back. Although one was saved, many more are still waiting for him. He will continue this path of saving... because, if he doesn't do so..._

 _Who will?_

Nero woke up.

She looked around the room dizzily until her eyes landed on a half-finished painting. It was a picture of a magnificent winged-lizard, a dragon, gazing up at a massive black airship which was flying in the sky.

"But does it have to be you, Praetor?" Nero smiled wistfully and touched the painting. "But if you insist, then I shall be the one to witness it. Whether you will succeed or fail, we will always be watching... because if we don't-"

It was as if many voices, coming from unknown places, overlapped with each other. Nonetheless, the sounds of sighing and the melancholy whispers were similar. Because, if they don't...

 _Who will?_

* * *

Misaki Town.

Days passed quickly and it was now only a week away from the eleventh month. The trees were no longer green as leaves slowly turned into different colors while the temperature became colder and colder by the day. However, most of this mountain town seemed to not be affected by the weather as the flora were still verdant and lively.

Under the night sky and the twinkling stars was a world of darkness where the creatures of the night are most active. The monsters in human shape feasted on the bloodied and mangled corpses in the alleys and shaded corners of the city.

"...Damn." Martha cursed as she gazed at the bloody scene solemnly. The body was devoured until only pieces of flesh and a severed arm remained. She frowned and squat down to inspect the crime scene. The holy woman discovered that the bite marks were caused by human. "This is..."

"The Dead?" The saint stood back up and glanced at the moon. "What the hell is going on with this town? And what's with the stupid amount of corpses I have found so far? This is already the fifth!"

If a random passenger were to know that the woman who was spouting swear words like firing a machine gun was Saint Martha, they would probably choke on themselves and pass out simply from the shear impossibility.

The magical energy surrounding her spiked up several levels. She was definitely furious of what happened to the innocent town residents. As a holy saintess, the thing she hated the most was the ones that are not under God's divine grace.

"Hold it, Martha!" A voice came from behind her and the rising Mana in the area calmed down. Titus, who was disguised as the blonde Alchemist, walked out from the shadows with a pouting Anastasia following behind him. "I prevented Prana from leaking off temporarily, control yourself before you are detected by a Mage."

"But, look at this!" The holy woman pointed at the bloody remains. "Whoever, whatever, did this. I will crush him with Tarasque! There's no freaking way I'm allowing an unholy creature to run rampant in a town full of civilians!"

"That's why I'm telling you to calm down!" Water was suddenly splashed onto Martha's head. She shuddered at the sudden coldness. The change of temperature managed to cool her temper and snapped her out of her fury.

"Have you calmed down now?" Titus looked at the drenched woman. Seeing her nod, he willed for the air around her to heat up. He then walked towards the unconsumed parts and swapped out his leather gloves for a pair of white rubber gloves.

The Alchemist first performed Structural Analysis on the flesh. The spell allowed him to understand the structure and design of objects as if he was viewing a blueprint. However, the version he used was like Psychometry, with the activation and assistance of his EX-Ranked Clairvoyance, he was able to see everything that occurred to the object.

He focused on the past and saw the original owner of the flesh, a black-haired human male in late thirties who wore a blue suit, was most likely an office worker. He had decided to use the alleyway as a shortcut in order to arrive home earlier.

Unfortunately for him, he was attacked by a similar black-haired Asian male who wore a grey hoodie. The hoodie male then proceeded to devour the dead man after biting off a chunk of his neck, leaving only pieces of flesh and a severed arm behind.

"Yes, it's the Dead." Titus sighed and turned around to the other two. Anastasia had wrinkled her nose at the disgusting smell and Martha was staring at him seriously.

The Dead are the traditional familiars of the Dead Apostles. They deceive death by eating the flesh of their victims in order to maintain their bodies but over half of the absorbed energy is sent to their master.

They are mindless and soulless puppets that are 100% controlled by their creator, so they are not proper members of the Blood-Sucking Species. As such they can be programmed and manipulated to follow a fixed route or to do other things.

They are created when a vampire's victim, who had his blood sucked and then received some of the vampire's own blood, does not manage to become a Ghoul. Unlike the Dead, Ghouls are born when the body of a vampire's victim is unable to completely die.

After their corpse is buried and left for several years in the grave, their brain will rot and the human soul will be freed from the cage of the body. The decayed corpse now begins activity as a kind of living dead called a Ghoul.

Their transformed souls, have now bypassed the necessity of the brain to hold the soul, since their soul is now separate from the body. They have mental capacities pretty much equivalent to that of a savage beast and they must devour other corpses to reconstruct their own degenerated flesh.

After many years of this they restore their bodies and thus, their brain, which now anchors their soul again to the body. The soul can now reshape itself with the brain and the body, causing them to fully recover their intelligence and memories.

With several years of development, a Ghoul will be able to regain all of its memories and a full human intellect. They finally become mature Vampires who can now attain power of their own, move by their own will, capable of creating other vampires and having their own minions.

It takes decades of acclimating to life in the darkness to complete this Growth Process. However, there are some human who has enough magical potential to complete the rebirth into a full-fledged vampire almost immediately.

The new born Vampire gains the necessary knowledge to understand the changes of its body and quickly grows accustomed to living as a Vampire. However, he is still bound to the will of his parent vampire and forced to supply him with blood.

A Vampire can only become a full-fledged Dead Apostle after breaking free from the control of his parent vampire. The evolution of a Dead Apostle begins with the Ghouls, followed by the Vampires, and lastly, the Dead Apostle, while the Dead are the insignificant failures.

The humans of the moonlit world dislike the Blood-Sucking Species, and Titus too, hated them, since apart of other humans, vampires are the biggest threat to the survival and prosperity of mankind. As long as they exist, the human species will never receive their peaceful rest.

He had hunted many of them down during his life, but he could not pay full attention to them seeing that there were beings who were many times more dangerous compared to the Dead Apostles. However, right now, he has received a chance to purge another harmful parasite from this planet.

"I'm sorry, Anastasia, but I believe that our tour will have to be suspended temporarily." Titus looked at the frowning girl apologetically. She was clearly displeased at the gruesome sight. "I will make it up to you next time, alright?"

"...No." The ice princess spoke up.

"Pardon?" He blinked. "What did you say?"

"I said, no!" Anastasia voiced out loudly. "I am joining you on the vampire hunt too! Though I find these creatures disgusting, I have decided to help you. Be honored, Mage."

"And... so?" He smiled amusingly, seeming to know what was going on in her mind.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Her cheeks reddened as she took a step back. "Fine... fine! I am bored, you hear me?! I want to see some actions too! All we have been doing since you summoned me is visit new places. It was fun at first, but it got dull quick, and now I want to see something exciting!"

"See, it's easy if you just admit it." Titus chuckled while Martha, who was listening on to the conversation this whole time, couldn't hold back her laughter as well. "Well the, let's go vampire hunting!"

With the Dead's appearance, it meant that a Dead Apostle should be in the city. And it was about to be chased down by a holy saintess who detested the unlife, a young man who seemed to loathe their kind to his heart, and an imperial princess who was merely bored out of her mind.

...

A few hours ago, before the three headed out to chase after the Dead Apostle, a young man was confronted by a young girl inside a dark alley. He is Tohno Shiki, an ordinary high school student who had lived in this town since he was a child.

Shiki has black hair and black eyes like most Japanese, and he also wore glasses. However, he didn't have any problem with his eyesight, these pair of glasses were gifted to him by a mysterious wizard when he was younger.

That's right, they are Mystic Eyes Killers, given to him in order to seal his eyes, a pair of eyes that is able to see the 'death' of things... the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. He had awaken these pair of eyes when he was almost killed by his friend during his childhood.

The girl has short blonde hair and a pair of mesmerizing red eyes. Despite being beautiful, he could feel an dangerous air surrounding her, like an apex predator. Apparently, for unknown reasons, he had subconsciously killed the young girl before him by slicing her into seventeen pieces yesterday morning.

He believed that it was all a dream. Murdering someone, and cutting her into pieces... how did that happened? why did that happened? He was just a normal high school student...

However, it was all true. He could clearly remember the scene where he grabbed the girl and sliced into her flesh with his knife. The skillful knife work, and the trained sense of a killer... they did not belong to him.

"-That is why you are going to help me!" The blonde girl introduced herself as something that went beyond the human realm, a True Ancestor, which she said was a type of vampire that ruled as the race's apex. "I am weakened right now. It costed eighty percent of my energy to create a new body since I can't regenerate it after you cut me apart, you know!"

"You, you want me to be your shield?" Tohno Shiki took a step backwards and against the alley's wall. He didn't know why, but the young girl talked about her death as if it was nothing important... and as if she didn't value life. She... she was not human, and she didn't care about humans.

"Yes. I want you to be my shield. You need to guard me while I'm resting and assist me in hunting down another vampire." The last True Ancestor harrumped. "With enough rest, I can recover to full power in two days. So you only need to protect me for a short while!"

 _'So it truly was not a dream.'_ The black-haired boy seemed resigned.

 _Caw! Caaw!_

"Hm?" Shiki glanced up and discovered a black bird perched atop the opposite building's railing. "Oh, it's just a crow..."

"Aw man, I've already been found." Arcueid put her palm on her face as she said helplessly.

"What do you mean by you've already been found?" The young boy had a bad feeling. He followed the True Ancestor's gaze and turned to the alley's entrance. _Splash._ With the sound of something stepping on liquid, an enormous black creature shown itself before them. "-What... Is that a dog?"

Seeing the pair, the beast bared its fang and leaped at them with a speed that the young boy could not perceive. Arcueid quickly pushed Shiki away and saving him from certain death.

"Ouch... Why the hell did you do that?!" The clueless boy grabbed his head in pain and glared at the blonde girl. All he saw was a blur and then he was thrown to the ground by her. However, her response was not an apology he had expected.

"Just look up!" Arcueid warned.

Shiki shut his mouth at her grave tone and glanced up. "You've got to be kidding me..." His eyes widened.

The giant black dog, as if it was defying gravity, was standing on the building's side. It growled when it felt their gazes and pounced towards him at full speed. The frightened boy fell down to the ground. He could feel the beast's malicious glare and its desire to devour him. He was going to die... he was going to die... he was going to die...!

When the lunging predator was merely five centimeters from the frozen boy, he felt his entire body seized by death. Was he... was he really going to die? However, before the beast could take off his head, the blonde girl appeared in front of him and thrust out her hand, lopping off the giant dog's head.

"W-What the..." Shiki stared at the True Ancestor's bloodied hand and saw that claws were formed on it. "What the hell was that...?"

"It's the enemy's familiar." She answered.

"A familiar...?" He turned to the creature's corpse.

"Oh my... this is bad news." Arcueid pouted, not caring about the blood on her hand. "Now that I have been found... you'll really have to be my shield."

"What?" Shiki looked at the young girl incredulously.

"First, I need to find a safe place to hide and recover..." Arcueid started walking away.

"W-Wait a minute!" Shiki yelled. "You saw me earlier. What could I even do? You'd be much better off yourself!" He was helpless during the attack. There was nothing he can do, he was just an ordinary high school student...-

"I don't think so." The leaving girl turned around and scratched her head. "'Cause it looks like I've used up all my remaining energy just now, and aren't you some hotshot bloodthirsty killer? C'mon, let's get going."

"No... I'm a normal human being!" He was not a killer! He was a completely average person.

"...Fine, then you can just watch out for me while I rest." Arcueid frowned.

"Uh..." Shiki glanced at the corpse beside them. "But..."

"Oh, C'MON!" The blonde girl cried out in annoyance. She pointed her claws and glared at the startled boy. "Don't get the wrong idea. You don't have the right to refuse. Either you help me... or you die here."

"Ugh..." He stared at her claws. After a few moments, he sighed as he made up his mind. "Damn it..."

"Then it's a deal!" Arcueid's expression turned a hundred and eighty degrees as she smiled brilliantly. She extended her hand to help him stand up. "My name is Arcueid Brunestud. It's a long name, so just call me Arcueid."

"...Tohno Shiki." The young boy gritted his teeth and grabbed her hand. "Unfortunately, I am merely an ordinary student."

"Alright, well nice to meet you, Shiki." Her smile got more radiant. "I'm gonna make sure you take proper responsibility..."

 **"For killing me."**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I'm trying to practice writing something that deviate from the canon storyline in this arc as a practice for the next one, but I'm not going to change how these two met though.**

 **I just realize that I have so much more female characters than male. It might be because most of my friends are girls, and Shirou, Mikiya, Shiki are harem protagonists...?**

 **Gawain-Knight of the Sun: You'll just have to see~**

 **Stratos: Yes! The Fifth will deviate heavily from the canon. I think you will be surprised by the casts I've chose!**

 **superpierce: Thank you!**

 **Paxloria: The black-haired and red-eyed girl is Reiroukan Misaya from Fate/Prototype, she is the prototype character of Tohsaka Rin. Anastasia in Nasuverse is slightly different from the real life one since you know~ Magick~ And feel free to use it in your works, I don't mind at all~ Also thanks for pointing out the mistakes and the confusing parts. They are now fixed.**


	31. Creatures of the Night (Part 3)

Titus was dreaming.

He was inside a small wooden cabin, and outside the building was a frozen wasteland.

Photos of a happy family were piled up on the wooden table. The joyful family was made up of a father, a mother, a son, and four daughters. Most of the photos were images of the four young girls, and the one with white hair was particularly eye-catching to the dreaming man.

He picked up a picture of the lone girl. She was sitting on a gilded chair, and her long white hair slowly fluttered in the wind. Putting the photo back, he took another and discovered four letters carved onto it.

 _[OTMA]_

 _Olga_

 _Tatiana_

 _Maria_

 _Anastasia_

 _Put the first letter of each name together to form OTMA._

 _That is our secret name._

 _Even if we get married and give birth... Even if we are separated, the fact that we are sisters will never change._

"This is..." The scenery in the photograph started playing as the wooden cabin faded away. He found himself in a garden where the four young girls were playing.

 _Let us stop fighting._

 _Let us stop hating._

 _Let us pray to God that we might live a good life-_

"You are-" The world kept changing again and again and again, they depicted the life which the young girls had went through. The story started focusing on the white-haired princess, until he found himself staring at the gun barrel which pointed at her. "So this is what happened during your life and before your death?"

 _Yes, that's right._

 _Of course, that never became true._

 _It never became true._

 _Ah... but there was something else that happened._

 _At the time of our deaths, we were together..._

 ** _Bang._**

* * *

Nighttime.

A giant man who wore a black trench coat stepped foot into Hotel Century. He was followed by a dog similar to the one Shiki and Arcueid had fought earlier, though slightly smaller in size. The hotel's occupants looked at the man strangely. No matter what one says, he was clearly a suspicious individual.

"Excuse me, sir?" A nervous hotel attendant approached him. "We do not allow pets in here, so..."

"Eh?" The bell boy glanced at the spot where the dog was supposed to be at. It was gone. "I thought I saw a big dog right here..."

 _CRASH._

The attendant crashed to the ground. Blood splattered all around and the bell boy's top half was gone.

He was dead.

"Well then..." The giant man grinned as darkness descended on the hotel's lobby. "It's time for dinner."

...

 _'Um?'_

"This is..." Arcueid sensed a familiar presence the same time the hotel attendant was killed.

She pulled the unsuspecting Shiki and rushed out of their room, into the corridor. "Let's get out of here, now!"

...

The man in black strolled through the hotel's interior. Blood covered every corner as every human he saw were swiftly killed by him and his familiars.

 _Sob sob._

"Sis..." A terrified five-year-old boy hugged his sister. They had witnessed their parents getting their bodies severed right after being pushed to behind a pillar by them. "Daddy... Mommy..."

"Shh, be quiet." The young girl was also scared, she was merely two years older than him and she has never seen something like this before... This was a nightmare... However, she has to be strong in order to protect her brother.

 _Tap. tap. tap. tap. tap-_

The sounds of footsteps were getting closer and closer, until it suddenly stopped. The pair of brother and sister glanced up and saw... it was the giant man who had murdered everyone inside the lobby.

"It's the upper level..." The grey-haired man wasn't looking at them. He was staring at the ceiling. If they just kept quiet, they might survive-

 _Squash._

...

"Where are we going?!" Shiki was running. He followed Arcueid's lead as they sprinted through the corridor. "What the hell just happened?"

"The enemy is here." The True Ancestor looked ahead solemnly. "We must leave here at once."

"...The enemy?" The young boy sighed and increased his speed, trying to catch up to the incredibly agile girl.

"!" The blonde girl suddenly stopped. Shiki, who finally caught up to her, also stopped. They had arrived at the stairway.

"?!" He gazed down at the dim staircase and discovered multiple growling creatures. A leopard, a dog, a fox, a deer, and even more were moving up. They were animals which were all colored in black and have malicious red eyes... like the dog they have met earlier the day.

"Shiki..." Arcueid extended her hand to stop him from moving to the stairway and pointed to their right. "Go ahead in that direction."

"Wha..."

"Just go!" She ordered.

 _'Damn it. What's with this?!'_ Shiki followed the young girl's command and ran away to the elevator. _'_ _What the hell is going on?!_ _What is...'_

 _Ding._

The elevator door opened, and a black dog immediately lunged out of the elevator towards the stunned boy. Shiki managed to dodge the leaping dog in time, however, his shoulder was badly gashed during the process.

"Ugh..." The high school student groaned in pain. He glanced right, and his face froze. A leg was blocking the elevator door from closing. He slowly moved towards it and looked inside... it was a sea of flesh and blood.

"AAGGHHH!" Shiki screamed in horror. Disfigured remains spread throughout the small space. He could see ribs, severed heads, and body parts laying everywhere. He stepped away from the elevator and started vomiting. But before he could rest, the black dog turned back and dashed at him.

"Ugh." He narrowly evaded its claws, nonetheless, his side was injured this time. He tried to ignore the pain and looked up ahead... What? The dog was not there... He stepped back in panic and discovered the beast was right below him. It jumped up and headbutted him, knocking him to the floor.

"You, damn...!" Shiki retaliated by swinging his arm at the black creature's head with all his strength. However, the thing didn't even budge after taking the impact of all the force he could muster. It stepped on his body to prevent him from moving and roared, as if it was declaring its victory over him.

The black beast snarled, mocking the struggling human boy's futile attempt at escaping. It roared once more, and opened its mouth, ready to bite off the boy's head. Seeing the dog's jagged teeth, something seemed to awaken within the boy's body.

His eyes glowed blue and he thrust out his hand. With his fingernails, he sliced into the beast's underbelly, throwing it away from him. Watching the beast howled in pain, Shiki pulled out his knife and severed its head.

He has completed the kill effortlessly, both ruthless and efficient, not of what a high school boy could do, but with the skills of an trained and experience professional killer, which was exactly what Arcueid had mentioned before.

As he was about to leave, another black beast pounced at him. The young boy merely flicked his wrist calmly and cut the lion in half. "Argh!" His heart painfully throbbed. Shiki crumbled down and touched his face. His calm facade had disappeared and all that was left was a shocked young boy.

"...Blood..." The high school student found his glasses and half of it was covered in blood. He glanced at the side, where the corpses of the two beast lied. "I... What have I... Ugh." _'I... I've done this...?'_

"Those useless little specks, they can't even finish off a piece of meat." While Shiki was holding his head in pain. The giant man suddenly appeared and started walking towards him. The corridor seemed clamp compared to the hulking man and the bloody atmosphere became even more tensed.

 _'What the...'_ Shiki looked in surprise as the beasts he killed turned into a liquid-like substance and merged with the man's shadow.

"Eat it." The man uttered indifferently and a massive crocodile emerged out of his stomach. It leaped at the defenseless Shiki, but it was slashed apart by a blonde young girl. Arcueid had managed to kill all the beasts at the stairway and came to his rescue.

"Well. Finally, we meet..." The giant man stared at the last True Ancestor. "Arcueid Brunestud."

"...Nero." Arcueid dragged the injured boy away and spoke up in a grave tone. "Nero Chaos."

Nrvnqsr Chaos.

The tenth of The Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors.

He is a living mass of chaotic matter analogous to a primordial soup, created from the accumulation of the lives of 666 creatures. Nrvnqsr was originally an Alchemist named Fabro Rowan from the Sea of Estray, a cluster of smaller Magus organizations in northern Europe.

He developed a method at the apex of his magical research allowing him to absorb and merge his existence with the lives of other creatures in order to obtain immortality and ascend to the level of a Dead Apostle.

Like many other vampires, he has taken his name from those given by the Church. "Nrvnqsr", phonetically spelled "Nero", was given to him as a play on words in Gematria by which the letters that compose it add up to 666, the so-called Number of the Beast. His second name, "Chaos", was given to him due to his nature as literal, squelching chaos similar to a primordial earth.

"I can't believe you'd be a part of a ridiculous game like this..." Arcueid moved to shield Shiki from Nero. "It's almost like a bad dream."

"I agree. Never in my wildest dreams have I thought to be put in the position of the executor of this reckless game." The man in black said. "Even for me, this is a bad dream."

What they were referring to was a "game" of "True Ancestor Hunting" formulated by Trhvmn Ortenrosse, the seventeenth of The Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors. He is the King of the Dead Apostles, who leads the largest faction and possesses the largest territory out of all Dead Apostles.

He selected Nrvnqsr Chaos as the executor of the hunt, and eventually, at the behest of one of his fellow Ancestors, Chaos followed Arcueid Brunestud to Japan in order to defeat her. Normally, he would not stand a chance against the White Princess of the True Ancestors, but he could escape if they were to fight since Arcueid could not kill him.

However, Arcueid Brunestud was currently weakened. This gave him a chance to fully eliminate her... and if he could assimilate the last True Ancestor into the chaos... what will happen? He wondered.

"Shiki, we're gonna get out of here." The blonde girl affirmed her companion.

"Hey, your arm..." Shiki glanced at her wounded arm. It was bleeding heavily.

"Don't worry" Arcueid ignored the pain and looked ahead. "I just scratched it a little with that other one earlier-"

"Get out of here?" A mocking tone came from the giant man and alerting the pair. "There is no exit, and this is your end."

"Well... I don't know about that." The vampire princess smirked and raised her hand. Mustering her strength, she smashed the wall beside them.

 _CRASH!_

Dusts filled the area and when it finally settled, the figures of Arcueid and Shiki could no longer be seen. They had escaped by jumping off the building. And Nero's familiars couldn't chase after her since they have all been killed by the ricocheting bricks.

The young woman held the boy as they slid down the hotel using her claws to steady their landing. Nero spotted the pair and began to summon a hawk, but before it could fully form from the shadows, it was impaled by long and slender rapier-like swords.

The Black Keys tried to form a barrier to contain the tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor. Nero swung his hand to his side and deflected them away. He disregarded the attempt at restraining him and leisurely strolled away.

"The next time I see you, I will take your life." He knocked away another Black Key. "Princess of the True Ancestors."

...

"It looks like he can escape if it's just a makeshift barrier."

Not far away, a nun was standing atop an office complex. The Black Keys that attacked Nero moved through the open roof door and arrived at her back. When she was about to pick one up, it broke off into two halves.

"Impressive, Nero." She glanced at the broken blade, and then shifted her gaze to the two individuals that were running on the streets. The injured Arcueid and Shiki were still trying their best at distancing themselves from Hotel Century. "And this..."

"...is becoming a messy situation." Her veil flew off, revealing the face of a young girl with dark blue hair and eyes. If Shiki was here, he would exclaim at her appearance, because he knew her. She was his school's senior. The president and the only member of the tea ceremony club. The kind, calm, friendly, and peaceful upperclassmen-

 _Ciel._

* * *

"...What?"

It was during the blink of daybreak, the Dead Apostle Ancestor had decided to not chase after the last True Ancestor since his strength would decrease if it was not nighttime. Nrvnqsr Chaos eyes glazed over as he stared into empty space. A few moments ago, he was warned by the prophet that he would die soon.

Rose Prophecy, the main reason why the group of extremely powerful Dead Apostles remain in some form after years of repeated killing and destruction among each other and hunts from the Church. She is the Ancestor who always foresees the death of other Ancestors and warns them so they may prepare a successor immediately.

Such prophet who was at the pinnacle of Divination had just told him that he would die. "-Tonight, Death will appear before thee," said the dispassionate voice.

All of a sudden, Chaos blinked. He hopped to the left as his instinct screamed at him to dodge fast or he would suffer horrendous pain. Not even a second later, three bursts of light flew from the wooded area beside the park's center and crashed at where he was earlier.

"This is..." The tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor could sense a foreign power within those radiant spheres which was dreadfully threatening to his kind. "Who are-"

"I FOUND YOU, VAMPIRE!" A shout came from deep within the thicket and more blasts of holy power headed towards the Ancestor. Chaos quickly leaped away, but he was still caught up with the explosions. The amount of pain he felt from the light was so great that the man was forced to scream in agony.

The holy woman ran out of the woods and immediately fired multiple shining bursts which detonated near the vampire. The reason why those attacks were so effective against a Dead Apostle was because they were infused with Divinity.

A holy saintess attacking an undead with Divine Power... the result was quite obvious even when the vampire was an Ancestor. And it was sure effective looking at the state of the barely standing grey-haired man. Although he didn't seem greatly harmed, his face was already twisted from the holy power's torment.

Before Chaos could take a breather, the area surrounding him turned into a land of ice. He was frozen by the sudden assault and couldn't move his body. Despite his best efforts, it would take him a few seconds to break out of the unusually resilient ice.

With a few seconds, his opponent would have more than enough time to land several hits directly. The situation was looking grim. However, to his surprise, the vicious woman didn't bombard him with spells and instead stood there, as if waiting for someone.

 _'They do not want this to be found out?'_ When the frost was about to thaw, the giant man discovered that the entire park was cut off from the outside world. And with that, Martha called forth more power and launched them at him.

Chaos tried to roll away from the holy spheres, but he didn't anticipate his ankles being frozen. The abrupt and unexpected strike from nowhere had confirmed that there was indeed a second assailant, and he or she might have also been the one who created the Bounded Field which cut them off from the outside world.

"You...!" The veins on his head bulged. He, the tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor, the one who stood at the apex of a race which dominates the human race, was being played around by an inferior species.

Nevertheless, he understood that he was facing against incredibly powerful opponents, to the point that they could threaten or even defeat an Ancestor. He quickly calmed himself down since emotions would just hold him back when fighting enemies with great strength.

"Prepare yourselves, for you will face the one who is the 666 beasts!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Ghost Recon Wildlands at 87% complete :O**

 **I think Nero is only six foot tall, but compared to the Japan's average height of 170 cm, he is pretty tall.**

 **Credits to Volban for translating Anastasia's Bond CE.**

 **Paxloria: Yes. They first met during Shiki's way to school and he killed her in the park, but I skipped that, cus yanno, it's faster this way :D Ah, but I did realize I forgot to mention that it happened a day before, so it's fixed now! Kara no Kyoukai happened in Mifune City, and Tsukihime happened in Misaki Town, but the interesting thing is the school that Fujino, Azaka, Shizune studied in,** **Reien Girl's Academy, is located in Misaki Town's suburbs. The characters never met because Nasu said that they were in different universes as Tsukihime is separated from Fate and Kara no Kyoukai's universe.**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	32. Creatures of the Night (Part 4)

The shadows, the chaotic mass, extended out. Hunting dogs, foxes, wolves, tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards, deer, gazelles, bulls, buffaloes, snakes, scorpions, rhinoceroses, elephants, sharks, bears, hyenas, spiders, lizards, eagles, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, alligators, various kinds of animals rise up from the darkness.

The beasts numbered in the hundreds and they all possessed similar black color and malicious red eyes. They growled and howled at the holy woman and all charged toward her, ready to tear her till nothing remained.

The land animals sprinted forward while the aquatic creatures 'dived' into the ground, they seemed to have the ability to 'swim' in land. The horde composed of hundreds of beasts lunged at Martha, even if she was a Servant, would she be able to take all of them down at once?

"Die, human!" Chaos laughed. He could already imagine the woman getting devoured by the familiars. Truthfully, they weren't simple familiars as their nature is vastly different since they are a part of his very existence. He has taken 666 beasts into himself, and they currently make up the chaos that is his body rather than simply being additions to it.

...It was within moments. The entire area, including the underground, became completely frozen and all the animals turned into ice statues. The Ancestor stared wide-eyed at the unbelieving situation. With them encased in ice, he could not retrieve the chaos and rebuild them into other creatures.

 _'This can't continue!'_ He gave out a battle cry and dashed at Martha. The saint answered him by sending bursts of divine light his way. He yelled and tried his best to ignore the piercing pain the holy power gave him and swung his hand at the clerical woman.

She was merely a human, if his fist connects with her body, it would be an instant death. However, he was stunned when she simply caught his hand and throw him away like a master martial artist.

Martha was a superhuman and a Servant. She had also practiced Jacob's Limbs, a method of hand-to-hand combat of old that was continuously inherited from Jacob, to Moses, and finally to her.

The vampire, instead of killing the fragile-looking woman, was knocked down to ground himself. He was then beaten again and again, until he finally escape after struggling against the vicious woman's fists.

Fortunately, he had managed to destroy multiple ice statues during the process and even more were destroyed by the rampaging woman. The tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor grinned as he could feel the majority of his chaos return.

This time, he would not hold back. He summoned out his trumps cards... the Phantasmal Species.

The limit for a human body should be around thirty beasts at one time, and while having thirty of the same animal is an amazing feat, having thirty different familiars would show that the strength of the user's willpower is apart from others.

It would also normally be limited to real animals because having more than one member of the Phantasmal Species would overload one's capacity. Nrvnqsr not only has over twenty times that number... but also owns a large number of illusionary beasts.

The Ancestor teared into his own chest with his arms, and as if ripping apart darkness, he opened a hole and a magnificent horse with a horn on its head appeared from the shadows. It was then followed by a larged, winged lizard.

But he didn't stop there, three giant gray wolves and a great deer also formed steadily, and lastly, three large, crab-like spiders slightly greater in size than the giant elephant emerged from the mass of chaos.

"These are..." Martha exclaimed in surprise. These were not something you could see even if you were to spend you whole life searching for them. They are the creatures from legends and myths. Even though they already lost their original self, they were still impressive and spectacular as they had been in life.

A horse that appeared was a unicorn, a being which could purify and devour souls, it was a genuine Phantasmal Beast.

Many of the Phantasmal Species fall into the category of Magical Beasts which is the common denomination for all creatures that do not fit in the ordinary biological classification for living beings and those that do not fall within the normal ecosystem.

The term "beast" is a thaumaturgical term, and it does not necessarily mean quadrupedal mammals. They are true deviations from biology that cannot be explained by immature research or sudden mutations.

They can be ranked into three categories, which change as the creatures age and increase in power towards becoming higher existences. The lowest rank is Monstrous Beasts which then change into Phantasmal Beasts, and finally become classified as Divine Beasts.

Phantasmal Beasts of the Millennium-Rank and Divine Beasts are equal to Magic, making them unable to even be harmed by mysteries on the level of Magecraft. Although the unicorn was not ranked that high, it was still a Phantasmal Beast!

And the winged lizard was a dragon! It was merely a low ranking lesser-dragon, but by the mere fact of it being a Dragon, it would stand atop the pinnacle of whatever class it is in, making it at least the closest to a Phantasmal Beast. It was a member of the Dragon Kind. Those who bear its name all possess immense strength as one would expect of a dragon.

The three wolves are Courtaud, a wolf king that led a pack of three hundred in the Paris environs during the Hundred Years' War, Bete and Lobo from Seaton's famous animal stories, and the deer was Eto, a more minor beast yet still one of the illustrious creatures of earth.

And the three crab-spiders were nameless but would not lose in any way when compared to the unicorn and the lesser-dragon because they had enough power to challenge those two and triumph.

These legendary species could blow away entire buildings and resist Magecraft as they are the ultimate weapon and final trump card of Nrvnqsr Chaos. There are more within his chaos, but he could not summon them at the moment since he had expended too much energy.

He had fought against Arcueid Brunestud, the White Princes of the True Ancestors, and now he faced an insane woman who could fight an Ancestor barehanded and a Mage who had the power to freeze a large patch of land instantaneously. He could not risk it all.

The nature of his current state is also vastly different from regular Dead Apostles. He identifies himself as something that is no longer a vampire, but instead a space which has become chaos, equipped with 666 beasts. His form is owed to his Reality Marble, the Lair of the Beast King, which allows him to absorb and merge his existence with the lives of other creatures and manipulate them in the form of chaos.

Reality Marble.

It is a Magecraft that comes close to being real Magic, and as a taboo among taboos and Mystery among Mysteries.

The concept of a Reality Marble is having one's inner world materialized and projected onto reality following the World Egg theory. Generally, it is used to refer to the alien common sense of demons and that it is how daemons perceive reality and how a Reality Marble itself is their natural ability.

But it is possible for humans to achieve this as an innate Bounded Field, though generally only in the case of powerful beings like The Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors and the greatest of magi who have spent years upon years researching.

This ability is a similar and dissimilar method of "world creation" to Marble Phantasm, which is the transfiguration of the surrounding world at will, in accordance to their vision of the world, but rather than reshaping the world at their will, Reality Marbles allows only for the creation of a set world that defines the practitioner.

They force all things to obey their rules, but it is limited only to that one pattern. It can be said that they can surpass Marble Phantasms at the same time as they are capable of affecting things not of nature.

The Lair of the Beast King is different from normal Reality Marbles that are superimposed upon the world, as he only deploys it within his own body. The corrective impulses of the world don't see this usage as a contradiction, so the cost of maintaining it is much lower than normal.

It is always active, and he can sustain it indefinitely as long as he has a sufficient amount of energy. Nonetheless, due to his advanced age as a thousand-year class Dead Apostle, he requires a large amount of energy to sustain his body and regenerate it after receiving damage. Rather than a measure of his power, it is instead compensation needed for the maintenance of such a long-lived existence.

Martha wasn't sitting still when she saw the vampire trying to call out the Phantasmal Species. However, knowing her train of thoughts, the giant man created animals from the remaining chaos and used them as cannon fodders to stall the holy woman for time.

The Mage inside the woods also bombarded him with ice spells. Fortunately, he had the unicorn act as his shield from the raining icicles and protruding ice spikes. He swiftly formed the beasts from the chaos, and laughed in triumphant seeing the process complete.

With nine of his strongest creatures summoned, victory was assured. He returned the surviving ordinary animals to the chaos and watched the Phantasmal Species roared and declare war on the lone saint.

"...This rat." Anastasia, who was concealed within the grove, frowned. She was surprised when the unicorn appeared, though now she could only feel anxious for her companion. Nevertheless, Martha would not lose, because that being was with her. It was a...

"You will die here!" Back at the park. Martha stared at the legendary creatures and announced their death. They might be incredibly powerful, however... "TARASQUE!"

At her shout, a turtle-like beast was summoned to her side. The Dead Apostle Ancestor widened his eyes at the monstrous creature. He knew that name, it was praised and sang in legends... a gigantic head, a shell that grew sharp spikes on it, six legs, and a long tail with spikes containing a poison similar to a scorpion's growing on it.

Its name is Tarasque, the Giant Iron Armored Dragon, the child of Leviathan, the tyrannical dragon that tormented the people of southern France in the 1st Century... the pinnacle of Phantasmal Species, a member of the Transcendent Kind, a **True Dragon.**

"Witness this miracle, vampire! O' Tragic Drake Who Knew Naught of Love... Like a star! Tarasque!" At Martha's command, the Armored Dragon leaped up and hid into its shell. It spun at a speed the Ancestor could not perceived and smashed into him and his most prized familiars, covering everything in the park with dragon fire.

"ARGH-" Chaos' beasts were instantly incinerated into nothingness and the vampire was burned till the point of almost dying. Nonetheless, he survived. _'How many lives did that took?! Over 600?!'_

He would not die that easily since the number of beasts he has absorbed gives him an equal number of lives, so he can be called both "one and 666." All 666 of his lives must be ended at a single time or before any of them can be allowed to return to him in order to fully destroy him.

In fact, he might have died if not for some of the ice statues being away from the flames. How ironic... he was actually saved by his enemies. But before he could rejoice in his good fortune, he saw the frozen animals destroyed.

"That's the mage?!" A white-haired young girl in a similar white dress came out of the forest and imploded those ice sculptures. The 666 chaos had now all returned to him, and if the dragon was to incinerate him with its breathe right now, he would be dead...!

 _'How can I be destroyed?!'_ Chaos stared at the pair with rage. He could not even escape as the dragon was blocking his way. _'Fallback?!'_

"Me, retreating from a human?!" Despite knowing that those two were ones who belonged in the realm of superhumans, he still could not accept his loss against a race that was lower than his own. "No... impossible."

"I am Nrvnqsr Chaos, the tenth Apostle Ancestor...!" The vampire's body twisted and increased in size, slowly transforming into something else.

His height increased by several feet above his six foot normal form. He became a genderless hulking mass of grey muscles as he condensed all his beasts to the limit into one ultimate form, the 999th Beast, the ultimate expression of his strength.

"Die, accursed human!" Chaos dashed towards Martha and slashed at her with his clawed hands. Such speed would be perfect against someone who specialized in the heavy arts, however, the holy woman's highest physical parameters was Agility, which was at A-Rank, fifty times the speed of an average man.

Martha answered his assault by parrying at almost two times the speed of sound. And once again, threw him away, knocking him to the ground. With B-Rank Endurance, she did not suffer much from his strike.

Anastasia immediately release the spell she was holding back and the grey giant's legs were encased in magical ice that was harder than diamond. Chaos howled in alarm seeing that he could not move.

At Martha's order, a torrent of Mana came out of Tarasque' mouth as Dragon's Breath fired towards the screaming Chaos. The grey giant was surrounded by the hottest flames. It screeched in pain, swinging its arms and punching its body to try to get it off, but it soon quietened down... because it was burned till not even ashes remained.

Nrvnqsr Chaos, the tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor... was dead.

...

"Rasiel."

Dawn had came as the sun fully risen to the sky, bathing the park in its warm glow. Not far away from the park was Titus. In his hand was a black and teal tome. He opened the book and it automatically flipped to a page. _'Fabro Rowan was permanently killed,'_ was written down on it.

"The tenth Apostle Ancestor and his madness would not appear in this world again." The mystical book worked its magic as it shined brightly. Seeing that the Noble Phantasm worked, he closed the book and watched it disappear into motes of light. "One down, more to go."

He ordered tiny golems to collect the remaining chaos and moved out of the treeline, making his way towards the two Heroic Spirits. He ran and waved at the pair, yelling at them with a smile. Martha smiled in response and Anastasia harrumphed, questioning where had he ran to when they fought against the Dead Apostle.

"You see... a black cat crossed my path when I was about to reach the park, so I could only circle around it, and I-" Titus spoke without blinking his eyes, causing the pair to be dumbfounded at his shamelessness. Such terrible lies he was sprouting... was there anyone in this world that would fall for it?

"Well, anyway. Good job!" The young man quickly shut his mouth when he sensed Anastasia reach her boiling point. He gave them a thumbs up and started running away. "Now, let's go home!"

"Wait, you-!" The furious ice princess and the smiling saintess chased after him. They ran out of the park and towards the sun, racing against each other to their home.

...Indeed, he was not wrong when he had chosen to stay in this world. And therefore, he hoped that this happiness would last a little longer. This time... this chance... he would not let go... After all, they...

* * *

 **Class: Caster**

 **True Name:** **Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Title:** **Grand Duchess of Russia**

 **Height/Weight:** **158cm 40kg**

 **Alignment: True Neutral**

 **Strength: D**

 **Endurance: D**

 **Agility: B**

 **Mana: A+**

 **Luck: C**

 **Noble Phantasm: B**

 **Class Skills:**

 **Territory Creation EX**

 **Contract with Samovilas A**

 **Personal Skills:**

 **Mystic Eyes of Clairvoyance D**

 **Glacial Charisma B**

 **Shvibzik B**

 **Noble Phantasm:**

 **Viy Viy Viy: Galloping Stare of the All-Seeing Ghastly Eyeballs - Spiritual EX**

 **Sumerki Kremlin: Afterglow, Abomnable Fortress of Blood - Fortress A+**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **An entire chapter of battle scenes :D I d** **idn't use Soil of Genesis since I realize it too late and I'm too lazy to add it now~**

 **To be honest, I don't know Anastasia's personality that well and the Lostbelt 1 isn't fully translated yet so she'll probably be OOC.**

 **klim770: That's right!**

 **Stratos263: Yes, Chaos had the strength to fight against Servants but he was matched up against foes that were especially effective against him, so RIP.**

 **Paxloria: I never mentioned this, but Anastasia was summoned in Tokyo. It's not like he particularly hates Dead Apostles, he just hate anything that threatened mankind, and the vampires literally wipes out towns every time they feed, which is pretty much genocide. And yes, I actually wanted to write more about the struggle of a normal person in the moonlit world. Though Shiki couldn't be considered a normal person, he has their mentality. In fact, his encounter with Satsuki is in the next chapter and I already finished it since a lot of canon is involved... but I'm too lazy to edit it right now.**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	33. Creatures of the Night (Part 5)

_She was born at dawn._

 _Not as the legitimate heir to the Emperor, but as nothing but a member of the royal family. Perhaps as a response to her illegitimate origins, she loved strangers more than she loved the family. She loved the nameless masses more than the notable aristocrats._

 _But nobody understood that._

 _Her great wisdom let her quench a great fire in a single night. After her execution of her mother, the people saw her as a ruthless despot. That was how she parted with her mother, who had thrown the country into disorder out of self-interest._

 _Nobody could understand the anguish it put her through. Her excellence, her work ethic, and her frequent bouts of moodiness no doubt led her to be painted as a freewheeling dictator. In the end, a rebellion forced her from her position._

"The title of Roman Emperor, princeps civitatis, means first among the citizens." The young girl uttered in nostalgia. "No matter how much fault the senate found me in, as long as the citizens didn't acknowledge it, my authority remained unwavering."

"The people served me devotedly, and my policies were beloved. As such, I did not think they would stand to see me forcibly abdicated." She gazed at the sky wistfully. "But no such opposition came. The people simply stood by..."

 _When the sun first set, she heard a voice call out to her, and she opened her eyes. The sound was the cheers of her beloved citizens._

 _When the sun set a second time, she heard another auditory hallucination. She opened her eyes, but she was alone in the wasteland._

 _And then... when the sun set a third time. She took her own life._

 _And that was the end of Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the fifth Emperor of the Roman Empire. She died in despair, never having known the love of a father or mother, nor the love of the people. Her life was one of a simple lonely girl._

"...I am at peace with my demise. I do not regret the deeds of the pasts. I am saddened by it, but I bear no resentment. Many thing happened... nonetheless, it was a good and fulfilling life. That is why, I will set my life ablaze for the sake of those who wish to believe I am beautiful."

 _Even after being forsaken, even after being held in contempt, she never changed her way of life. Despite how easily she gets lonely, despite how fervently she craves attention. Even to this very day, she still loved her citizens._

Within the silent music hall, the young girl seemed especially radiant. She extended her hand to the man before her and smiled. "Shall we, Praetor? Shall we step forward, to this ever-brilliant stage... of Life?"

* * *

 _Ring ring ring-_

"Hello, this is the Tohno residence." Sunlight shone through the windows as a young girl answered the ringing telephone. She has short red hair and amber eyes. She wore a blue ribbon at the back of her head and was dressed in a brown Japanese kimono. "Yes. How may I help you?"

"...Oh, you need to speak to Shiki-sama?" Her name is Kohaku. She works as a maid in the Tohno mansion along with her twin sister. "Shiki-sama is-"

"Kohaku." A young girl with long black hair decorated with a white hairband stopped her. She was wearing a white shirt with a black ribbon on the necktie and a long black skirt. Her name is Tohno Akiha, Tohno Shiki's younger sister.

"Hello, this is his sister speaking. How may I help you?" Akiha took the antique device and spoke to the caller.

"Oh... you're his sister...?" A surprised male voice came through the phone. "I'm Inui. Pleased to meet you."

"So what is it that you need?" She frowned as her blue eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Well, Tohno didn't come to school today so I was worried." On the other side of the phone was a young man who looked like an outlaw. Despite his thug-like appearance, he was actually Shiki's classmate and best friend.

"Actually, Nii-san has not return home since yesterday. Do you have any idea what might've happened to him?" Akiha asked.

"Huh?" Inui Arihiko stuttered. He realized that he had made a mistake, so he quickly tried to cover for his best friend. "Well, um, he stayed over at my place last night. It's not cool that he didn't mention it to you, but it should be fine. I'm sure he'll come back from out of nowhere, soon."

"Yeah, he was always like that from before, I don't think you need to worry about it." He continued his lies awkwardly, and Ciel, who was beside him, sighed. "So yeah, ok, well later then!"

 _Click._

"Akiha-sama..." Kohaku looked at the young mistress in worry. "Shiki-sama hasn't shown up in school either?"

"Phew... Oh man, that wasn't good." On the other side, Arihiko hung up and hug the phone box, trying to dispel the tension he felt.

"So Tohno-kun wasn't home?" Ciel walked closer and questioned the sweating boy.

"Yeah, sounds like he hasn't been home since yesterday. Man, where the hell did he go?" The young boy turned to the glasses girl and replied. "Oh yeah. Yumizuka didn't show up today either..."

* * *

Nighttime.

Shiki had rested in a hotel room rented by Arcueid the whole day. He stayed in bed while the young girl cooked him food and bandaged his wounds. They spent the time talking and got to know each other better than the day before.

He apologized, spilling out all his regrets for murdering the True Ancestor when they first met, and was forgave by Arcueid. Shiki then answered her question on how he had managed to kill her, discovering that he possessed the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.

They agreed to fight together in order to stop the tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor from wreaking havocs in this town. They would split up as Arcueid try to divert Nero's attention and Shiki would ambush him. He just has to give the Dead Apostle a fatal blow.

It sounded easy, but taking down the tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor in a single blow wasn't something even Arcueid could achieve. Fortunately, there was nothing he couldn't kill, and even Nero was no exception. The Mystic Eyes he owned were ones which could kill anything and everything.

There are two things the young boy could see with his eyes. Lines and points. While a line symbolizes the death of only a part of an existence, a point symbolizes the death of the existence itself. When a point is pierced, the victim's "concept" is destroyed. He simply has to pierce the Ancestor's point and he would die, permanently.

Slowly, he made his way through the town and towards the park. There were few people remaining in the shopping district. "?!" Shiki turned to the side. He heard a sound from somewhere behind a building. It sounded like the sound of someone falling.

He looked around and spotted the back alley. It was most likely where the noise came from. He had a bad feeling, it didn't sound like something being knocked over by the wind nor did someone fall over since no cry was heard. Whatever it was, he shouldn't get involve since he had to meet Arcueid in the park.

But... he heart was pounding. It was as if it was asking, telling him to look into what was happening in the back alley. He took a deep breath and made up his mind. He didn't want to ignore his feelings. He put his hand in his pocket, touching the cold iron of his knife, and walked towards the alley.

It was quiet. Eerily quiet. The noise he heard earlier came from the open area at the far end. However, his instincts screamed at him before he could get closer. _Don't go. Don't go further. If you do, you won't be able to come back._ But it's already too late. He stepped out of the back alley, and into the open space.

"Eh...?" That weak voice was all that he could get out. The back alley was a single sheet of crimson. Limbs were strewn amongst the garbage and rubble. Not the limbs of dogs, cats, or the like. They were human limbs, with blood dripping from the fresh meat and bone.

The ground and the walls were painted with red blood. A heavy scent, the choking smell of blood, filled his nostrils. A face on a severed head, rolling around with the expression of agony. A face shriveled up like a mummy, split in halves. A face with both eyes gouged out, so distorted I couldn't tell if it used to be a man or a woman.

Shiki gazed at the four bodies in horror. They rolled around like the scraps of leftover food. "Ah, ah, ah..!" He gaped in shock at the sea of bodies. _'What... is this? What, what is this world before my eyes...?!'_

Something that was leaning against the wall moved. It was not a corpse with scrapped hands and feets, but a living being with limbs attached. _'He's alive!'_ Shiki moved closer to the living figure, trying to help the person who was still alive.

However, he soon stopped his steps. The being pulled itself up from the sea, and raised its face, staring at him. A face like a dried out skull... It was not a human... It was a ghoul! The monster gave out a hideous scream and dashed towards the young boy, wanting to devour his flesh and blood.

"Ah!" Shiki stepped back in panic. He was not ready for the attack, and he could not feel the strength, the speed, the skills he had when he fought against Nero's familiars yesterday. Fortunately, before it could reach him, the ghoul collapsed to the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

"...Tohno-kun, it'll be dangerous if you stay here." A voice came from behind him. He turned around and, at the mouth of the alley where he came from, he saw... her. She was his classmate and both his and Arihiko's mutual friend, a shy girl who was somewhat popular in the class, Yumizuka Satsuki.

"Yumi... zuka?" Still dressed in their school uniform, consisting of a white shirt with a yellow jumper over it, a cute blue bowtie, and a blue miniskirt, the young girl hopped closer and greeted him.

"Good evening. Fancy meeting you in a place like this, huh?" As if they had merely bumped into each other in the mall, Yumizuka greeted him lightheartedly.

"Yumizuka, you... What are you doing out at a time like this?" Shiki stared at her heavily twin-tailed brown hair and questioned.

"Oh, just going for a walk." Satsuki said with a light smiled. "But what's Tohno-kun doing? Killing so many people like this is bad, right?"

"I, I didn't-" When he was about to reply and claim his innocence, he found something really strange from the smiling girl. Her eyes were closed, and she always had her hands behind her back, as if trying to hide them from him. "Yumizuka, you-"

"What is it? Your face looks scary, Tohno-kun." The young girl merely laughed at his sudden change.

"Yumizuka... why are you hiding your hands like that?" Shiki pushed her for an answer.

"Ah, have I been found out? I guess you're too observant to miss that, huh. I've always liked that about you, Shiki-kun." After emphasizing "Shiki-kun", she brought her hands out. Both hands were dyed crimson. Not yet dried, the blood drips off them in droplets.

"Yumizuka, you hands-" The young boy's face stiffened at the dripping blood.

"Yeah. I killed those people." The young girl proudly smiled.

"Wha-"

"Oh, but, it's okay. I didn't kill them because I hated them. I just needed their blood to live, so I had to kill them." Satsuki talked about human lives as if they weren't important. She wasn't the classmate and friend he knew, she was... something else.

"You... really killed them, Yumizuka?" Shiki glanced at the bloodied hands and then toward her face. Her eyes, which used to be brown, were now a piercing red.

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you it's a lie, right? Or do you think it's impossible for a girl like me to do such a thing?" Her voice laughed softly.

"Why... such a terrible thing?"

"It's not terrible. Like I said, I didn't kill them because I hated them. There's nothing wrong with killing others in order to live, is there, Shiki-kun?"

"What...! That's absurd! Killing is wrong!" I don't believe her. I don't believe her... but she was definitely not telling a lie. This tragic scene. It's all Yumizuka's doing.

"No, it's not. But, I did do one bad thing. Since today was my first time drinking blood, I let a little of my blood get back into them. Because of that, you got attacked, Shiki-kun. I'm sorry for getting you involved. But we're lucky, it died without able to finish changing."

"What... what are you talking about, Yumizuka?" ...Blood? And the ghoul?

"It's okay if you don't understand right now. I don't really understand myself yet, so I can't explain it very well. But, I think after a few days I can become like Shiki-kun. Like Shiki-kun, become a great-" As she said so, her face distorted in pain.

"I- ha-... aaau!" Rasps of agony echoed from her throat and she started choking up blood. "It, hurts. I guess, even if I'm hungry, I shouldn't just drink blood at random. If it's not good quality, beautiful blood, it won't agree with me..."

"Nnh- kuh, naaah!" Shiki watched his friend broke out in a fit of coughing, choking out blood with every cough.

"Hey... are you okay, Yumizuka?!" He ran towards her to take her hand while her body convulsed.

"No! Don't come any closer, Shiki-kun!" However, he was stopped by her pleading voice. She spoke painfully, still vomiting red blood. "...You mustn't, I'm not... entirely okay, Shiki-kun."

"Why?! If you're in pain, we have to get you to a hospital right away!" Looking at the girl shaking in pain, Shiki couldn't stand still and tried to get closer again. He spoke gently, however, all she did was shook her head violently, refusing him to get any closer.

"Shiki-kun, you're not getting it. You never really understand anything..." Satsuki hugged her trembling body.

"Idiot! I told you before, I don't understand...!"

"Ah... yeah, you did, didn't you. But you're still here..." The young girl began to pull away. She breathed roughly, coughing up red blood. "...It hurts, Shiki-kun. It hurts, it's cold, and I'm scared. I really want your help right now, Shiki-kun."

"-But it's too early." Saying that, Satsuki straightened up again. "Wait for me, okay? I'll go become a great vampire, then I'll come back and see you!"

"Wait! Yumizuka!" She was gone. Even as he started to run, she was long gone. Her speed was inhuman, like that of a wild beast. "Yumizuka, you... What happened to you, really...?!"

"Sh..it.." A young boy stood in the open space. He cried out angrily, striking the wall again and again. He screamed out his anguish and the alley echoed his voice as the faces, the organs, the hands and feets all turned to ashes.

"What the hell is going on, Yumizuka?!"

* * *

Romania.

Medb stared at the massive structure. It was a huge European castle fortified by the finest materials they could get at the present age. Built by golems, and supervised by Semiramis and herself, the castle that was going to be their base was finally completed.

The fortress only took a year to build thanks to their planning and the assistance of golems and the other Heroic Spirits, mostly the Casters. Semiramis, Scáthach, Circe, and Tamamo worked hard since they knew this would be their base of operations. Nero and Nobunaga also provided them ideas used in their own forts and palace.

Reinforced and enchanted to the maximum the materials could withstand, this castle could even resist the joint attacks of several Servants before collapsing. Now that the most important part was done, they only needed to finish the minor jobs and they would rest.

Kiyohime glanced at the structure and sighed. It has already been five years, and when preparations are completed, they would all take a long break, and entertain themselves with all the interesting things from the current era they have discovered. They would forget the past and look forward to the future. After all, they...

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I found some time to edit the chapter~ Though it's just c** **anon stuff from Fate/Extra and Tsukihime~**

 **Ghost Recon Wildlands completed! It's at 100%~! Now it's time to start the Witcher 3... or not? I have Nepified my life with that Nepu Steam Bundle so maybe Four Goddesses Online first :O?**

 **Paxloria: Yes, though I'm surprised you noticed that it was Len. She is the main heroine of** **Kagetsu Tohya, Tsukihime's spin-off. As for what he wished for... it's a secret~ :3**

 **Saberfang Orcalodon: They are in Misaki Town, where the events of Tsukihime took place.**

 **superpierce: Thanks!**

 **Guest:** **Not my fault you don't like harem~**

 **On a serious note, I'd say that it's one of the biggest mistakes I made. I was just thinking of writing a wish fulfillment/non-serious fanfic that is within 20-30k words, but I got into writing and now here we are. It's so much harder to write about that many characters compared to only one. I won't rewrite since it's a waste of my time, though I'd pick Tamamo or Kiyohime if I ever write another similar fic any day, anytime.**

 **Actually, when I thought about writing an OC, I wanted someone who was incredibly powerful, but really, who doesn't want their character to be awesome? I read Chinese, Japanese, and Korean light/web novels and found most of them frustrating, as such, Titus was created. But I didn't want just another brainless stupidly powerful main character who gets push around by his harem. I wanted someone with a proper background, a reason for his abilities, emotions of someone suiting such power. I have been constantly refining him for the past 30 or so chapters, and finished his main background, ideals, and wish around the start of Kara no Kyoukai arc, and now all that's left is for an epic moment to show it. You guys know that there's a semi-harem going on already, but if you read so far, you'd probably know that I'm not someone who focuses on romance that much. I prefer to write about the plot rather than slice of life since it's more fun, in fact, if I spend more time on non-plot parts, I can probably double a chapter's length with only more detailed explanations and shenanigans. But you know... Moi is lazy so moi don't work C:**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	34. Creatures of the Night (Part 6)

_Within a dark alley, a shadowy figure hobbled towards a young woman slowly._

 _"-No, it's fine. Yes, yes." The black-haired woman was on her phone, speaking to one of her many acquaintances. She did not see. She did not notice, that, there was someone steadily limping closer and closer to her back._

 _'...Blood... blood, I need blood. I need blood. I need blood... Give me, give me more blood...!'_

 _He stumbled upon reaching the woman's behind. Without a word, he opened his drooling mouth. They looked human, however, his canine teethes were incredibly sharp, like ones which wolves have. Saliva fell onto the ground, and the man lunged forward._

 _"-Yes, see you tomorro- Kyaaaah!" The figure bit into the screaming woman's neck. Blood splattered everywhere as he bit into a major artery. The walls and floors were drenched in blood as the man started to feast on his prey._

 _The cellphone fall onto the floor, and a panicked voice sounded out. Noticing the noise, the maneater stepped on the device and crushed it. It then proceeded to devour the woman, grinning from face to face at the flesh' exquisite flavor._

 _After a few minutes, the entire body was eaten by him. He then continue to move forward, wandering the town for more food. More blood... I need more blood. Give me more of those, those delicious crimson blood flowing in your veins...!_

"Ugh!" Shiki opened his eyes and saw an unfamiliar ceiling. The sweating boy rise up and looked around... It was his room within the Tohno Residence.

"Ah, that's right, I moved here three days ago- argh!" He grabbed his head in pain, trying to remember the events that happened yesterday... he and Arcueid went after Nero, and, and then... ah. "Yumizuka..."

"She..." He was in pain. It was as if someone had pounded his head with a hammer. He felt dizzy and couldn't properly recall what had occurred on the previous evening. "I, I met Yumizuka in the open space of that back alley. The bodies, and she...-"

Blood.

"Argh!" He hissed in pain. Yes. Yumizuka, his classmate, was a vampire. She drank blood, and killed all those innocent people. But... why? What happened to her? They were together after school two days ago, before he was confronted by Arcueid, she invited him to walk back home together, and they she said that-

"Huh? Arcueid, and the hotel..." His eyes widened in realization. They then dimmed, since he understood the words that Yumizuka had told him. "No, no way. Not her, don't tell me it was because of me-"

 _"Tohno-kun, It's my birthday today and I'm going to celebrate it with my parents at the fancy hotel over there! Are you jealous? Hehe."_ _The brilliant light from the setting sun behind her seemed to be amplified by her radiant smile._ _The young girl beamed and pointed at a nearby building. It_ _was tall and luxurious, standing above all the nearby buildings, it was-"_

Hotel Century, the location where he and Arcueid stayed.

Shiki clasped his face and gave out an anguished howl. "-No, no, no. NO! It's all my fault. Because of me, because of me, she-"

 _Knock knock._ "Shiki-sama, are you awake?" Someone knocked on the the door when he was about to scream out loud. He quickly came back to his senses and inhaled deeply. His hands were still trembling, and his face was pale. He answered the knock with a hoarse voice. "Come in."

Hearing his reply, a young girl with short red hair came into the bedroom. The stern-looking girl had a bonnet on her head and was dressed in a brown western maid uniform. She is Hisui, the twin sister of Kohaku, and the cleaning maid of the Tohno family.

"Good morning, Shiki-sama." Hisui bowed. Though before she could continue, she froze. "Shiki-sama, you're bleeding!"

"Huh...?" The young boy looked down and found blood all over his pajamas. "Oh... when did it get there...?"

"We need to take care of it! I'll go get my sister!" The young girl turned around and ran towards the door.

"No, don't worry about it. Looks like it stopped already." Shiki voiced out, stopping the anxious girl from running away. "It just seeped out of my old clothes. I'm sorry for ruining the clothes."

Hisui stared at Shiki worryingly. After a few moments, she nodded and stepped out of the room to get a change of clothes for him. Seeing her leave, the young boy entered the bathroom and took off his bloodied pajamas.

He stared into the mirror. There was a large wound on his chest. It was a stunning sight to see as the injury of such size should have been fatal and killed him many times over. However, the young boy managed to survive it.

He had received the wound during childhood, though for some reason, he could not remember how he got it, and moreover, how he actually survived such a devastating strike. He sighed and calmed himself down.

After washing up, he returned to his bedroom and found a new set of clothes on his bed. It was his school uniform. A white shirt, black pants, and a black gakuran. They are the standard school outfit in Japan. He quickly wore the clothes and exited his room, moving down the corridor.

"Akiha?" Shiki spotted his younger sister through the windows. She was currently sipping on tea within the garden terrace. Shiki moved towards her direction and greeted her after entering the garden. "Hey, you're up early, Akiha."

"Nii-san... You're up early. What happened?" The head of Tohno family smiled lightly and replied.

"Ah... I tossed around in my sleep and woke myself up." Shiki winced slightly as he recalled the nightmare he had. It was definitely something he would not tell his sibling, especially when she seemed to be in a good mood.

"I should get you a harder mattress if it gets you to wake up this early." The young girl laughed softly at her brother's clumsy appearance.

"Uh, that's harsh." The young boy rubbed the back of his neck and smiled wryly. "What time do you usually get up?"

"...Akiha-sama is always up by 5 a.m."

"Whoa! Ko-Kohaku-san!" Shiki yelled in surprise since Kohaku has suddenly popped up from behind him.

"After she arises, she has a cup of tea, gets dressed, and then takes care of family business for a while." The red-haired girl was carrying a tray. There were cookies and a refill of tea for Akiha.

"After breakfast, she joins Shiki-sama for a pleasant conversation. And then, she heads over to Asagami Private Girls Academy by a car. Do you understand now, Shiki-sama?" She grinned.

"..." Shiki broke out in cold sweat while Akiha glanced at her laughing maid awkwardly. "From now on, please don't sneak up on me like that, Kohaku-san."

"Breakfast will be reason soon, so please come to the dining room." The smiling girl bowed and quickly exited the room before Akiha could say something.

"Ahem." The high school student coughed and turned to his sister. "So you have to work on family business that early in the morning. That must be hard..."

"It's part of being the family head of Tohno." The younger girl looked down slightly and answered. "So it's expected."

"I see." Shiki smiled wistfully.

"I don't have any grudges against you for not being here for a few years." Akiha harrumphed and crossed her arms on her chest.

"Um."

"Have you gotten used to this home?" The young girl glanced up at her brother.

"I'm not quite sure yet. I don't know if I'm just forgetful or if it's because I was gone for eight years, but..." Shiki scratched his head and responded. "Like my room... and the living room... I don't remember how everything was set up at all. I didn't think I was this forgetful."

"Well, that is a problem." Akiha sipped her tea as Shiki walked away, towards the pillar behind them. Noticing it, Akiha turned back and asked. "What is it, Nii-san?"

"This is...?" The young boy crouched down and inspected the scribbles on the pillar. It was filled with the names of two individuals: Tohno Shiki and Tohno Akiha... Huh, they are their names.

"You don't remember? It's from when we played the game of fighting for territory when we were kids." At Akiha's explanation, it was as if time was reversed, Shiki could see the silhouettes of two young children, trying their best to write their names on the pillar as fast as they could.

The younger girl was panicking slightly. She was doing her best, though unfortunately, she wasn't able to catch up to her brother, and judging by his expression, the older boy seemed determined to win the competition.

"...I remember now." He was taken aback. How could he forget it? He winked at his younger sister and spoke up. "We competed against each other on who could write our names inside the house the most number of times, and we got in a lot of troubles with dad because of it."

"Yes." Akiha smiled in nostalgia.

 _'But, man... I must have been one sore loser if I started writing my name in katakana mid-way to save time.'_ He rubbed his chin in mockery.

"Oh, by the way, Nii-san." Akiha stood up. "I will be home late tonight since I'll be attending a Tohno clan meeting. So you will have to have dinner by yourself. And also, please don't stay up too late at night just because I'm not home."

"Haha, alright..." Shiki answered with a wry smile. When he turned around, his expression changed to one of apology. _'I'm sorry, Akiha...'_

* * *

October 24th, 1999, 10:00 p.m.

After putting on his casual clothes, Shiki ran to the park where he was supposed to meet with Arcueid after she lured Nero out. He wasn't able to meet her since it seemed that he had passed out from an anemia attack after the incident with Yumizuka.

He searched throughout the place and finally found Arcueid waiting for him below the park's clock tower. When the young girl spotted Shiki hurrying towards her, she smiled happily. However, she quickly stop her smile and pouted.

"There you are, Arcueid!" The young boy ran up to the waiting girl. "Sorry about yester-"

"Where did you go?!" Arcueid harrumphed and turned her head away from Shiki. "I waited you for so long! And Nero didn't even show up too! Hmph, I don't know someone as irresponsible as you! Go away! Shoo, shoo!"

"A-Arcueid." Shiki was panting hard since he had been moving all over the place. "I'm, I'm sorry about, what happened last night. I didn't mean to do that, but I ran into something last night, and I think I fainted from anemia afterwards."

"Hmm? Something?" Arcueid raised her eyebrows curiously. But she quickly furrowed them and put her arm on her waist while pointing at the young boy. "No, that's not important right now! I'm disappointed in you, Tohno Shiki. You actually broke our promise!"

"Let me explain myself, Arcueid!" The black-haired boy exhaled. "You see, I met my classmate on my way to the park, and-"

"And?" The blonde girl raised her chin, ordering him to continue.

"As I was saying, I met my classmate and she-"

"She?" Arcueid narrowed her eyes and the temperature seemed to be dropped by several degrees. "So you spent the night with another girl while I'm risking my life against a Dead Apostle Ancestor?"

"No, No! Listen to me, Arcueid!" Shiki raised his voice in annoyance. "She was a vampire!"

"Eh?"

"My classmate, Yumizuka Satsuki, was one of your kind. I found four corpses and a ghoul in the back alleys and then Yumizuka showed up. She admitted that she was the one who... ate them, and then she said something about becoming a great vampire and ran off..."

"This..." Arcueid turned serious. "Your classmate turned out to be a vampire, and she ate people...?"

"No, she wasn't a vampire at first." Shiki quickly corrected Arcueid's misunderstanding. "It was the hotel we went to last time. She had stayed there with her family in order to celebrate her birthday and she must have fell victim to that Dead Apostle that was hunting you."

"Nero turned her into a vampire? No, impossible, he wouldn't turn someone into a vampire but he would instead command his beasts to devour her..." The last True Ancestor covered her mouth in contemplation, and then explained to the young boy.

"Not him? Then who? Isn't he the one who is turning everyone in town into a bloodsucker?" Shiki asked impatiently.

"If it's not him, then it must be..." Arcueid frowned. She uttered out a name, one which she spoke with utmost loathing. "Roa."

"Roa? Who?" The young boy was surprised by the different name. Chaos wasn't the only vampire wrecking havoc within the quiet mountain town. There was another one and it seemed that rather than the giant man, he was the one who is sucking blood and turning people into vampires.

"His name is Michael Roa Valdamjong, and he is a Dead Apostle Ancestor." The blonde girl's frown seemed to deepen at the mention of Roa's name. She then revealed the information on the Dead Apostle Ancestor.

Michael Roa Valdamjong, the Serpent of Akasha.

He is a vampire and a numberless Dead Apostle Ancestor ranked as "Extra" outside of the regular twenty-seven because they consider him to be a heretic who does not uphold the ideals of regular vampires.

He has another title, Infinite Reincarnator, which refers to his ability to constantly reincarnate after entering Akasha, the root of everything within the universe, no matter how many times he dies.

Roa was originally a priest of the Church who quickly rose to the top by utilizing all his father's inheritance. He created the "burial class", the base of today's Burial Agency, along with another individual.

With nothing left of his resources, he decided to leave the Church, and gave the Agency to the other founder. After betraying the Church to the Mage's Association, he was left uncredited.

He wished to realize an immortality different from that of Dead Apostles, but, trying to overcome his limits as a mere human, he reluctantly became a vampire in order to continue his research. When considering a way to become a Dead Apostle, his heart was snatched the instant he put his eyes on Arcueid Brunestud.

When she became weak to her vampiric impulse for the first time in the castle, he tricked her into drinking his blood by creeping up behind her, trying to seduce her with sweet words and asked "Are you in pain?"

She sucked his blood right there, and he died immediately. After being brought back to life, he became distant from her, not once speaking after that point, and only met later to finish everything.

He became a powerful Dead Apostle upon his revival. Taking the forces of the Dead Apostle Ancestors that had then been sealed by the Church, he quickly rose in power amongst the twenty-seven. He earned himself the scorn of the other Dead Apostles Ancestors as he built up power.

The rest of the Ancestors decided to reject him and ignore his existence after that point, and, years later, he was eventually destroyed by Arcueid who had joined forces with the Church. Over the next seven hundred years, he reincarnated fifteen times, and he was endlessly killed by Arcueid each time.

"Since your classmate was turned into a vampire by Roa, then he must have snuck into the hotel during the massacre and turned her into a vampire." Arcueid sighed in frustration. "What she referred to about becoming a great vampire must mean becoming a full-fledged Dead Apostle."

"She must have incredible magical talents to become a vampire immediately, no, she might have even become a Dead Apostle directly. However, she can only become a full-fledged Dead Apostle after breaking free from the control of her parent vampire. As of now, she's probably collecting blood as offerings to Roa, and hoping that he will let her go."

"Then we must save her." Shiki was determined to rescue his friend. It was his fault in the first place that this had happened to Yumizuka. If they weren't staying in Hotel Century, Chaos wouldn't have chased them there...

"We can't." Arcueid looked down in regret. "We can't help her, that is."

"Wha- What do you mean we can't help her...?"

"I'm sorry, Shiki." The last True Ancestor uttered with sympathy as she yearned for the same thing. "But there is no cure for vampirism... even if we rescue her from Roa's control, she will still be a Dead Apostle, and need blood in order to keep on living, which means that she has to kill more people, or she will be overtaken by her impulse."

"This... this can't be." Shiki tooked a step back. "But, but. Yumizuka... She, she is... she is just an ordinary girl... She's not someone of this world, she belongs to the world of the living, she deserves to live happily...!"

"It is too late now, Shiki." Arcueid shook her head. "I'm sorry, but we can't save her."

"If this continues... won't Yumizuka turn into one of them completely? If we don't save her now, if we don't help her now..." Shiki gritted his teeth and stared ahead despondently. His voice was husky and his fingernails were white from clenching so hard. "Who will?"

"Please... please answer me... Arcueid..."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Finished writing and editing on the same day.**

 **Ahhh, half of the chapter is canon! What is this author doing?!**

 **Ok, ok, I just can't leave out the bonding with Akiha and him questioning himself, yanno? I promise the next chapter will be more original. By the way, I have already finished drawing up the upper half of this arc :D**

 **I have updated the Glossary with Locations! The places from Fuyuki, Mifune, and Misaki are added.**

 **As for those who are confused: Alric = Titus' disguise, and the Italic paragraph at the beginning of some chapters are either the dream one of his Servants saw the night before or it's one of the dreams that his Servants have seen during the past few years. Though it's not in every chapter, like this one where it's similar to the canon nightmare Shiki had.**

 **Stratos263: Nope, it's a new place~**

 **klim770: Yesh~**

 **Paxloria: Thanks! Also, Satsuki was actually turned into a vampire by SHIKI/Roa, and not Chaos, in the canon. As for Kagetsu Tohya, it's a visual novel, which is same as Tsukihime. To be honest, the anime sucked because they tried to mix the other routes with Arcueid's.**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	35. Creatures of the Night (Part 7)

At the same time Arcueid and Shiki met each other at the park, Satsuki was sucking the blood of a young girl she had captured earlier.

Her victim was already dead. Despite being an ordinary person, she surprising had Magic Circuits within her. They were of poor quality, the lowest of low, but they were still Magic Circuits of a Mage. The quality of the prey was considered excellent since the Prana the young girl has was many times higher than the average man.

"Viy, can you see the rat? ...Yes, you're right, the rat needs to die, after all."

All of a sudden, an ice lance was launched from the dark alley next to her. The young vampire rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike as a white-haired young girl stepped out of the shadows. Hugging the doll she always had with her, Anastasia eyed the nervous Satsuki with contempt.

Compared to the spells she used against the tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor, the ice lance was considerably less deadly since she held back by making it move slower. After all, the young girl in front of her was weak. Incredibly weak. She wasn't even a threat to her. With a single snap of her fingers, she could freeze the girl many times over and the vampire wouldn't be able to wake up, ever again.

Anastasia raise her hand before her mouth and gave Satsuki a mocking smile. Taking the gesture as a symbol of hostility, the young vampire jumped up and used the surrounding walls as foothold to accelerate towards the unmoving princess.

 _'Uh?!'_ However, before Satsuki could reach the motionless figure, her vampiric instincts screamed at her to get away. Trusting the recently developed sixth sense, she clasped onto the fire escape stairs beside her and used it to push herself backwards.

"Ah, Viy, looks like this one is smart." Anastasia laughed softly. Satsuki had chosen the correct choice. If she were to get closer to the Romanova princess, she would have been stopped and turned into an ice statue. "But do you think you can escape me?"

Hearing the opposite girl's cold tone, Satsuki instincts flared up once again. She tried to distance herself from the snow-white girl by leaping onto a nearby building and away from this back alley. Unfortunately for her...

"W-What?" She found herself frozen. She was not on the ground, but in mid-air! "How?" Not even being able to struggle, Satsuki was pulled to the ground as her plan to escape crumbled to ruins since Anastasia had literally frozen all the water vapor around the young vampire. You have to know that there could be up to four percent of water vapor within a volume of air, and not just that...

"Futile attempts." Anastasia spoke up with satire and caressed the silver ring on her right pinky. It was a continuous-active Mystic Code Titus had created for her, with the sole purpose of producing water and ice by using Mana as exchange.

The Mystic Code had assisted her greatly since she was not in a favorable terrain. If she was to be summoned in a country of ice and snow, she would be invincible and even capable of taking down the Divine Heroes because the whole environment would be on her side. And if she was to be summoned in her own domain, Russia...

"Well, that does not matter right now." Anastasia stepped closer to the ice statue and muttered in disdain. "Die. Powerless one."

The Romanova princess created an ice dagger in front of her and grabbed it. Inching closer, she raised the blade and slash down on the young vampire. Sure, the bloodsucker would not die even if she was to dismember it, but what if her head was severed...?

"No, please no! I, I still have not become a great vampire, I still have not achieve my promise with him...!" Satsuki widened her eyes in horror as she stared at the frost dagger. "No... I miss you... save me, Shi-Shiki-kun..."

Anastasia ignored the young girl's pleading and swung down. _'Am I going to die...?'_ As if time was slowed down, Satsuki could see the dagger steadily moving towards her neck. Despite being made of ice, the blade seemed dreadfully sharp. It would definitely decapitate her instantly. _'Ah. At least, it doesn't look like it will be painful...'_

 _'Good bye, Shiki-kun. I hope we could meet each other again if something like reincarnation truly exists...'_

 _Crack._

"Uh?!" The dagger broke apart when it touched the young vampire's neck. Blood trickled down and Satsuki glanced at the shocked Anastasia. _'A-A chance!'_ Taking the chance, she immediately leaped back and widened their distance.

The tensed Satsuki tried to calm herself down. She was not stupid enough to attack Anastasia even when the princess was caught off guard seeing that the white-haired girl could easily dispatch someone as weak as her. "...Who was it?" The newly-birthed vampire looked around the area, trying to find the person who saved her.

"But... why?"

Satsuki turned to the puzzled ice princess, and stared right into her eyes. The young girl was no longer looking down on her and instead examined her with doubt. Anastasia seemed to be talking to someone, and since she could not hear it, they must be conversing with telepathy.

"...Fine."

Seeing the pouting Imperial Princess stamping her foot ferociously, she knew that she was no longer in danger. _'But who is she talking to...?'_ Whoever the ice princess was speaking to must be someone very powerful since he was able to order such a strong person.

"You." Anastasia harrumphed and pointed at the anxious Satsuki. "Come with me."

"...Yes?"

* * *

October 25th, 1999, Morning.

The sun slowly rises as its light shine down on the institute surrounded by mountains and the verdant nature.

A new day has begun. The students of Reien Girl's Academy woke up from their sleep and prepared themselves for classes. The terrifying incident which happened nine months ago seemed to be forgotten by the inhabitants as they happily continued on with their youthful daily lives.

While the students were chatting and gossiping on the various topics they found interesting, a certain young girl was hurrying towards the institute's entrance. Following behind her were two other young girls.

"W-Wait up, Fujino-chan!" Kokutou Azaka and Seo Shizune called out to the running girl. Looking behind, Asagami Fujino saw that her friends were both panting heavily.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Azaka-chan, Shizune-chan." The violet-haired girl stopped and turned back to her friends. She and Azaka have became close friends since the events of Mifune City, and Azaka has introduced her roommate Shizune to her soon after that.

From then on, the three became best friends and were inseparable as they spend every moment together. And by chance, fortunately or unfortunately, the three of them were all holders of supernatural abilities.

Fujino's Mystic Eyes of Distortion, which can twist space itself. Azaka's Spontaneous Combustion, an ability similar to Psychokinesis which can cause the target to self-combust rather than immolating them directly. And Shizune's Future Prediction, which is one of the two main types of Precognition.

The three merely laughed it off when they discovered that they all possessed power beyond ordinary human, and even started advising each other on how to use their special skills. Shizune mostly kept to herself, but still gave directions when they were lost.

Azaka and Fujino were both Magus' apprentices, and assisted each other on the topics they did not understand while still keeping the standard use of equivalent exchange by providing the other party with information on something they did not know.

Equivalent exchange was something hammered into the both of them by Alric and Aozaki Touko since it's an established rule of Magi and the Mage's Association. As they decided to become apprentices and walk the path of Magi, they are required to follow the laws of the supernatural world.

Fortunately, the two young girls were not like the Magi out there. They valued human lives and would not harm anyone on their own will despite having enough strength to do so.

"Mou, you are always like this when your teacher is going to show himself. I just don't understand it. He looks good, but he seemed to be living in another reality rather than the one we are in." Azaka voiced out, completely ignoring the taboo relationship between teacher and student in Japan seeing that her Origin is Taboo, the straying away from the norms.

"A-Azaka-chan! It's not like that!" The blushing Fujino stammered out. "I, I just admire Alric-sensei. He's a really great Magus, and even Touko-san said so..."

"Hnn. Is that so?" The incestuous girl fluttered her eyebrows teasingly. "I thought Fujino-chan liked Alric-san. You frequently mention him during our conversations, and that wooden box under you bed-"

"No! Stop! Azaka-chan!" The Asagami heiress leaped up and pushed her hands against her friend's mouth, trying her best to seal the black-haired girl's mouth. She whispered. "W-Why do you know that?"

"Kyah!" Fujino suddenly retracted her hands. "Did, did you just licked my palm, Azaka-chan...?!"

"Yes, yes I did." The taboo girl grinned and inched closer to the embarrassed girl. "As for why do I know that secret of yours, I actually-"

 _Smack!_

"Stop bullying Fujino, Azaka-chan." Shizune sighed and pulled Azaka away from the tearing Fujino. "Can't you see we're being watched by everyone else?"

"Um?" The black-haired girl rubbed her head and glanced around. "Ah." They were being stared at by all the other students in the corridor. She quickly bowed towards them and pulled the other two away.

"I'm sorry, Fujino-chan!" After moving from the corridor, Azaka clasped her hands together and apologized to the violet-haired girl.

"I-It's fine, Azaka-chan." The Asagami heiress smiled wryly. "Now let's go. Alric-sensei must be waiting for us already."

"Yes!"

...

"Then please excuse me then." The prioress stood up and moved towards the guest room's door, leaving the two others. The first was a blonde man with teal-colored eyes, he was Alric von Leiqritus, and the second was a brown-haired young girl, it was Shiki's classmate, Yumizuka Satsuki.

The young vampire was still dressed in Misaki Municipal High School uniform, with the exception of her school sweater. The other change was that her twin-tail was gone as her long hair falls down.

 _'Ah... he's so scary. Did I perhaps made a deal with the devil?'_ Yumizuka fidgeted nervously. She picked up the glass and gulped down the water to quell her anxiousness but it didn't seem to work.

The man had offered his help in curing her vampirism in exchange for one favor from her. It seemed too good to be true, especially when he told her that he was a high-ranking personnel of the organization which most Mages went to.

In the end, she agreed to his offer and they signed a binding contract. It couldn't be help, he was her best chance at curing vampirism since he was able to provide her with medicines which could suppress her vampiric impulses.

As the prioress opened the door, she came face to face with three young girls. "Hmm? Oh, good morning, Asagami-san, Kukotou-san, and Seo-san. Please enter, Mister Alric has already arrived." The woman bowed, showing more respect to the violet-haired girl because she was the daughter of one of the school's sponsor.

"Good day to you as well, sister." The three replied and entered the room while the prioress exited. Fujino smiled softly and was about to greet her mentor when her eyes landed on brown hair. She froze, but then quickly recovered as she turned to Alric. "G-Good morning, Alric-san."

"Spare the greetings, Fujino. I am here today to introduce you to a fellow apprentice." The blonde man nodded and gestured towards the restless girl sitting beside him. "This is Yumizuka Satsuki. And Satsuki, this is Asagami Fujino, your senior."

Azaka and Shizune moved to the corner as the conversation progressed. Looking at their expressions, they were definitely thinking that their friend's strange reactions are something very amusing to watch.

"Satsuki will be enrolled into Reien as a transfer student and I will teach you two at the same time, do you understand?" The Asagami heiress nodded vigorously. She knew that Alric was a man who valued time, so she didn't beat around the bush and simply accepted the circumstances.

"Good. I have already explained the procedures to Satsuki and informed the headmaster of her transfer. Please show her around the institute as I am busy with another apprentice of mine. Do you have any questions before I leave?" The blonde Alchemist sipped on his water.

"A-Another apprentice? How many people are you teaching, Alric-san...?" Fujino seemed taken aback by the news. She must have not known that her mentor has other students.

"Seven, including you. Why? Is there a problem?" Alric put down the glass and questioned.

"N-No. T-There's nothing wrong, Alric-san!" The violet-haired girl shook her head and laughed awkwardly.

"Well then. Take care of Satsuki." The blonde man stood up and patted Fujino's shoulder. He then headed towards the door, nodding at Azaka and Shizune before exiting the room.

 _Thud._

The door closed, leaving the four young girls in the room. "Hmhm." The first one to speak up was Azaka. She inched closer to Satsuki and grabbed her hands. "Hey, Yumizuka-san. I am Kokutou Azaka, and that timid-looking girl at the corner is Seo Shizune-chan. And so..." Azaka grinned. "Will you tell us how you met Alric-san...?"

"Ah." Yumizuka smiled wryly. "Yes."

...

Moving out of the school building, past the deserted chapel, and beyond the tree line of the forest that forms a perimeter around the old ruins, Alric arrived at an opening. This was a burial site, one housed only by a single individual. The name that was written on the gravestone was one which he was very familiar with, it was-

Kurogiri Satsuki.

"You should have listened to my advice." Alric crouched down and touched the tombstone. The Unified Language user survived the fight with Ryougi Shiki, but he was then murdered by his 'sister', Ouji Misaya, the perpetrator behind the memory disappearance and the one who was being controlled by him from the start.

It was quite ironic. Brother whom she got separated in her childhood? The power to control formless low-rank Spirits disguised as woodland fairies? Why would he go to such length and efforts when all he seek was death?

The last oblivion, the time of memory that no human has. The world before one was born, with no symbolic value, and no conflict. The man's distress was a very simple thing. _"If I had not been born, the world, and myself, would maybe be a lot more peaceful."_

The Mage is right in someway. People do die someday. Entropy demands that we die, disappear, and be forgotten. Otherwise, the boundary between past and future will be empty and meaningless. Reversing entropy takes a kind of energy we don't have, and so things gain value in their temporality.

But things can still lie eternal. Even if something is gone and forgotten, the fact of its existence didn't change. It dwells in the mind, always with you, residing in its dark corners, awaiting only the right trigger to return. Things left forgotten are never truly gone, and somewhere in you is the truth... or what passes for the truth.

Oblivion Recorder, the Seekers of Truth, the ones who are lost in Nostalgia. Me too. I am also one who can't let go of those things. However, unlike you, I have not abandon the future, Kurogiri Satsuki.

At least you died happy and content. Smiled for the first time in your eventful yet short life. I am jealous of that, and I envy that satisfaction you have. Nonetheless, I have to wish you a peaceful rest as every living being deserves it... Have a long and sweet dream, Oblivion Recorder.

A bouquet of hydrangeas appeared out of a purple distortion and fell onto his hand. He placed the bouquet on the grave and paid one last respect before standing up and leaving the burial site.

As he turned around, the entire field was burned by azure flames, erasing everything till nothing remained.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **100,000 words! Yay~! *Launches confetti cannons***

 **I didn't miscount right? Rin, Sakura, Caren, Reines, Misaya, Fujino, and Satsuki. Did I forget someone?**

 **I think I'm starting to understand Anastasia's personality. She's extremely cold and cruel to everyone because of her awful past, but when she opens up to someone, she would show her true self.**

 **klim770: I'm glad I have never seen the DEEN F/SN since someone told me it's really bad.**

 **Stratos263: This is what happens when an ordinary girl gets involved with the moonlit world. They go slightly cra-cra~**

 **Paxloria: If I remember correctly, the reason he still bleeds is because Akiha is struggling to provide him with life force since SHIKI has been stealing it. And yes, the visual novel explains them. Don't believe in the anime because it was horrible. I struggled to watch 2 episodes before dropping it. Roa/SHIKI is actually a great villain, though not on the level of Araya Souren, he's actually just jealous of the closeness between Shiki and Akiha, and Roa didn't care as much about those feelings since SHIKI's personality would disappear after he avenged him. Basically, SHIKI is actually a nice and friendly guy that is overprotective of Akiha, but after getting killed by Shiki during childhood, he became obsessed with revenge as he's being influenced by Roa.**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	36. Creatures of the Night (Part 8)

Nighttime.

"Tohzaki, Kishima, Kugamine... Arima and the head of the Tohno family." Inside the study room of the late Tohno family head, Tohno Makihisa, was a young girl in nun attire. Ciel scanned the room until her eyes landed on the bookshelves at her left. Flipping open a book, she whispered in surprise.

"Asagami, Fujou, Ryougi... these family names seem to be under a different category." She glanced at another book on the shelves. "And over there, that's a scholarly text on runes... this collection of books is very odd for a family of entrepreneur..." She flipped to the next page and discovered something odd. "...A key?"

Ciel picked up the key and returned the book. She inspected the room and stepped towards the study table. Inserting the key into the first drawer, she found multiple miscellaneous items within it. And amidst them, she noticed a notebook and another thicker book sitting at the drawer's bottom.

"This is... the family tree?" Ciel picked up the thicker book and opened it. "With the exception Tohno Makihisa's death by sickness at age fifty, the death before that was a person in his thirthies, and the one before that was suicide."

"Death by insanity, accidents, at childbirth, murder, people gone missing. This gene pool is nothing but cursed..." The nun furrowed her eyebrows at the strange family tree. She put the book away and picked up the noteback. "And this is..."

"Tohno Makihisa's private notes...!" Ciel widened her eyes at the jackpot. This was exactly what she was looking for! Reading the contents on a random page she flipped to, a single sentence caught her eye. _'Evil resides in Tohno's blood? This-'_

"What is it that you're looking for in my father's room at such a late hour? The guest of our house?" A voice came from the room's entrance, which snapped Ciel out of her contemplation.

"This is an unannounced visit. But I do apologize as the owner of this house for not giving you the proper welcome." The nun raised her head and saw black. Fitted with a white headband, black hair fell down to the young girl's waist. "Excuse me, but may I ask who you are?"

"...Weren't you supposed to be out tonight?" Ciel closed the notebook and smiled teasingly. "You went out late last night, too. Where did you go?"

"...I believe I have no obligation to respond to a guest who does not make herself known." The opposite girl's eyes twitched.

"Ohh, that's a problem. Well the thing is..." Ciel laughed awkwardly and pointed at herself. "I actually got rid of my real name. So, I don't have a name right now. But if I still must introduce myself... Why don't we just say, I am some meddler?"

"Heh..." The headband girl blinked at the absurd reply she received. She crossed her arms on her chest and spoke up. "So? What is this meddler looking for in our home?"

"It's a bad habit of mine..." The nun chuckled. "I just felt that I could not stay out of this matter. And before I knew it, here I was. I can, to some extent, figure out who he reincarnated as by using a particular source. And I know for certain that he came to this city."

"There's a high possibility he reincarnated as someone who is wealthy, has a good pedigree, and is greatly talented." Ciel continued despite seeing the black-haired girl's puzzled expression. "Which makes the Tohno family the perfect home for him in this city."

"So, these incidents are happening in the city, but there's something that I'm still unclear about. The culprit should be someone in the Tohno family, or someone related to the family. Excuse me, but is there someone close to you..." Ciel smiled in a friendly manner. "...who happens to be a vampire?"

"Who... are you?" The headband girl narrowed her eyes and glared at the amiable nun.

"I've already told you, haven't I?" Ciel gesture behind her. "I am just some meddler."

"!" At the young nun's words, a blinding flash temporary depraved the Tohno head of her sights. Ciel pulled out a black key and inserted it into the wooden floor. "...What?" Her opponent tried to move but found out that she could not.

"It's useless. My shadow will hold onto you and will not let go." Due to the lights, the nun's shadow managed to reach the blinded girl. Ciel was no longer smiling. She stared at the opposite girl with a stern gaze and voiced out in a grave tone. "You smell like something other than a human, miss Tohno Akiha."

...

A long time ago, humans established organizations with the purpose of hunting down supernatural breeds that aren't human. Base on many forms of magic, occultism, and ceremonial rituals.

The highest of those organizations is affiliated with the Holy Church. The exorcists that those Vatican officials boast of. Their animosity towards things that are not humans, particularly vampires, is tremendous. You can even say that they are obsessed.

For those people, anyone that's not human is considered a heretic. It does not matter whether or not it was a vampire who seeks peace and does not consume blood, it will still be hunted down without mercy. And amongst all the elites of the Church is a group of people who are like assassins that specialize in hunting down heretics.

The Burial Agency, a group of special Inquisitors gathered by the Church. Though they are known as the most professional Inquisitors, they are not actually responsible for stamping out heresy, leading them to be called Executors or killers. They are not meant to be exorcists, but simply those who kill demons.

The organization operates and scouts entirely on ability. Anyone can become a member if they have the power and the will to destroy heretics and whatever else the Church finds "inconvenient." Faith is a secondary condition compared to the necessary power to obliterate the heretical, though they will baptize the members.

It is made up of seven main members including the leader, and an eighth member, an exceptional candidate from the Church, is in reserve, nevertheless, they are changed often because they keep dying during missions.

Those on the outside see it as a group filled with Magi who loved to explore the taboo, people who enjoyed enslaving the captured heretics, gun nuts, and maniacs with insatiable bloodlust. Each member works alone under most circumstances, and they will not cooperate with foreign demon hunting organizations.

The members gain powerful privileges and influence, and they will even go against the wishes of the Church without orders to eliminate heretics. They'll go as far as to skewer a Bishop if he is possessed, leading to whispers calling it the most heretical section of the Church.

The current known members of the Burial Agency are the 1st member and leader of the agency, Narbareck. The 5th member who is also the twentieth of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, Merem Solomon. The tentative 6th member, Mr. Dawn.

And lastly, the 7th member, the one who carries the Seventh Holy Scripture, the young girl who is the president and only member of the tea ceremony club...

 **Ciel.**

...

"Well, I don't know who you are talking about, but..." Akiha glanced down at the shadow that was somehow immobilizing her. "If I were that vampire, what would you do?"

"I would take the appropriate measures." Ciel grinned affably. "I would most likely destroy you, and take care of the aftermath. Clean things up and then purify the land."

"...Well, that's too bad. Because I'm not the vampire you're talking about. However." The Tohno head responded calmly while Ciel narrowed her eyes. "I'm also not a person who will just yield quietly."

"I see." The young nun opened her eyes and stared at her opponent coolly.

"I don't know what you're thinking, but I will not fall prey to your hypnosis." Akiha ignored the effects from Ciel's glowing eyes.

"That's too bad, if I can't get my answers from you, then maybe I will have to use force." The blue-haired girl merely chuckled seeing that her trick failed. The Mystic Eyes of Whisper allowed her to manipulate people to a limited extent. It hypnotizes her victims into not doubting the words that she says, unless there is direct evidence otherwise.

"Or... Maybe I should just go and ask Tohno-kun?" Akiha widened her eyes at the mention of her brother's name. She clenched her fists in anger and started her ability. Sensing something wrong, Ciel called out three Black Keys and when she was about to throw them at the enraged young girl...

"Ugh?!" She felt her whole body burned. Having a bad premonition, the injured nun quickly leaped backwards and crashed out of the window. She sprinted away from the Tohno Residence and into the woods surrounding it.

"...Here, I'll give this back to you."

"!" Ciel turned to the voice. Her sudden action has saved her as one of the Black Keys she threw at Akiha earlier flew through the air and embedded itself into the tree and next to her head.

"I don't know who you are, but I will not let you come anywhere near Nii-san!" A young girl stepped out of the mansion and towards the inquisitor.

"What if I say I'll still try?" The heavily wounded Ciel merely laughed at the threat.

"Then, die." Akiha answered in a cold and emotionless tone.

"!" Her instincts flared up and the young nun darted away from the tree. She was in mid-air when she felt the heat behind her. The blue-haired girl had narrowly avoided being burned to death.

"After all that talk, all you're going to do is run away?" Akiha bolted at Ciel and appeared beside her.

 _'When did she?!'_ The astonished inquisitor rolled to the side after getting kicked in the nape. She quickly recovered from the dizziness and caught the second kick from the Tohno head. Ciel grinned and glanced up at the surprised girl. "You didn't step deep enough... Well then, let's begin the battle between the variants, shall we?"

Using an arm as support, she gave an upward kick, which Akiha barely avoided. Using the momentum of the kick, she pulled out more Black Keys from her frock and swung them at the headband girl.

"Ugh!" Akiha dodged the slash by hopping backwards and glared at the stony-faced nun.

"That was quite a hurl." Ciel pulled out another set of blades. She now has six Black Keys in both her hands. "And this is how these swords are used." Contracting her muscles, she threw the weapons towards Akiha with full force.

Seeing the flying blades. The young girl panicked internally and hid behind a tree nearby, hoping that the knives are not able to pierce through the thick wood. Three of the six Black Keys missed their target as they flew into the woods. Fortunately for Akiha, the other half which hit the tree didn't manage to penetrate through the solid materials.

"You... monster!" The headband girl quickly rushed out of the covering and used her ability again. Ciel, who has just pulled out two more sets of Black Keys, was thoroughly cooked by the burst of heat which appeared out of nowhere.

 _'She escaped?'_ Akiha couldn't find anyone as she glanced at the spot the nun was. She raised her head, and discovered a steaming figure moving away from her rapidly.

"!" As she was searching for the concealed Ciel, she heard a voice coming out of the woods. It was the inquisitor, but she was not able to identify her exact location.

"It starts out with minor things, when you stay up late the night before, you say hateful things to the person who come to wake you up. Walking along the main street after the rain, you get annoyed at the car that splashes water on you."

"These are negative emotions that anyone could have. But do you ever feel, these emotions grow and take on a life of their own? For instance, when you see some cute children, you, for no particular reason... want to break that skinny neck?"

"Or for instance, when you come across an unfortunate beggar, you think it's so funny... that you wants to stab his heart with knives? You desire only to kill and quench your thirst. Does your desire to kill me stem from such things?"

"No, it's purely a desire to kill." Akiha replied calmly.

 _'I won't let her ruin everything with such nonsense. No matter what it takes...'_ The young girl recalled the happy days she spent with her brother during their childhood. The smiling face of a young boy, extending his hand towards her, and asking her out to play... _'I won't let her lay a finger on Nii-san...!'_

"Kohaku?" Akiha uttered softly.

"Yes. I'm right here." The red-haired maid popped up from behind a tree.

"I see." The Tohno head nodded.

"Ow.. oww..." Further away, Ciel was hidden within the bushes. _'A fire-starter...? But it doesn't effect clothing or other inorganic materials. It only burns my flesh.'_

Lying against a tree and surrounded by Black Keys, the young nun sighed in relief. She inspected her injuries. Her arms, legs, and face were all roasted by the attack earlier. However, her cassock and blades were unharmed. There wasn't even a single scratch on them.

 _'She must be able to use her power selectively within her vision. To think she can conjure such power without any weapon or spells...'_ Ciel frowned at her opponent's exotic and powerful ability. Even for a Burial Agency Executor, it was something incredibly hard to deal with.

"Hey, meddler." Akiha crossed her arms on her chest and raised her voice. "What's the matter? At this rate, we won't get any talking done, let alone fighting. Well, I guess you won't just come out since you've been charred. In that case..."

 **"I'll broil you out."**

Akiha closed her eyes and spread her hands as her luscious black hair turned into a vermilion red.

 _'Her hair turned red...'_ Ciel noticed the sudden change. She had a bad premonition... "?!, the wind feels hot!"

The young girl's stunning red hair extended out to the surrounding areas. The invisible strings that are only millionths of a meter scattered throughout the forest, and soon, one came into contact with the hiding nun.

"So that's where you are."

Ciel eyes constricted and she got up immediately. She had to get away from there...!

Sadly, it was already too late.

Akiha yelled and activated the unique ability she possessed. The entire area, the plants and trees, the small animals, and even the land, were all scorched till the verdant woods transformed into an empty open space.

"..." Steam rise up to the sky as the crimson vermillion stepped on the remains of the once prospering forest. She glanced down at the ash-covered inquisitor. The collapsed young nun was motionless...

She was dead.

Dead.

Everything's dead.

"Ha... hahaha, HAHAHAHAHA!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **And another chapter, to celebrate the story reaching 100k words :D**

 **klim770: It's a combination of both, with added elements from Kara no Kyoukai and Fate series~ (Reien Girl's Academy/Servants)**

 **Stratos263: Thanks!**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**

* * *

 **Members of the Burial Agency:**

1\. Narbareck, 1st member and leader of the agency.

2\. ?, 2nd member.

3\. ?, 3rd member.

4\. ?, 4th member.

5\. Merem Solomon, 5th member.

6\. Mr. Dawn, 6th member.

7\. Ciel, 7th member.

8\. ?, 8th spare member.


	37. Creatures of the Night (Part 9)

"Hahahahaha!"

A young girl laughed manically amidst the scorching field. She glanced at the motionless body and frowned. "Aww... You're not already dead, are you?" Akiha smirked and mocked the dead nun. "You're all talk... and here I was planning on torturing you before killing you. But-" She suddenly felt strength leaving her body, which caused her fall down.

"Akiha-sama! You've overworked yourself!" Kohaku came out of hiding and held the headband girl. She gazed worriedly at Akiha, who was worn out after repeating usage of her unique ability.

The Caging Hair is a cursed field of plundering that is effective in the range of her field of vision.

Being a half-demon, she can "plunder" the heat and lifeforce from a living creature she can see, but the maximum output relies on time on how long she keeps plundering heat. At the same time it is a double-edged sword as she can plunder someones entire concept with it as well.

The ability of interfering with the outside world is rare, even within the Tohno family. On the other hand, she is also able to share her own lifeforce with others and can so animate a dead animal/human or non-living object and use it as a servant.

The half-breeds with thick blood are often overwhelmed by their blood with Inversion Impulses, and those that maximize the blood are called Crimson Red Vermillion. Also known as Ancestry Return, they are enveloped by an illusion-like fog and their demon blood overwhelms and consumes their human blood.

And those that become Crimson Red Vermillion... are never able to return to humanity again.

"The Tohno clan has always eliminated enemies in this fashion. I only did what was natural, don't you agree?" Akiha panted heavily and gave the corpse a forced grin.

"Let's return to the residence, Akiha-sama. Please leave the rest to me." Kohaku supported the exhausted girl and gesture at their home.

Akiha steeled herself and glanced at Ciel's unmoving figure one last time. She turned around and asked her maid. "Nii-san... has he gone out again tonight?" Kohaku smiled awkwardly at the Tohno head's question and nodded. "... I see." _'What are you doing... Nii-san?"_

"Even though I can't die, it's not as though I don't still feel pain." The pair froze at the unexpected voice that came from behind them. This familiar voice... it belonged to the dead nun...! "Indeed, since I'm still conscious, I had to endure that pain uninterrupted. That's still better than being killed over and over again..."

"But you should have nailed your last blow! You know?" Ciel grinned and rise up. She summoned three Black Keys from her frock, and without a warning, she threw the blades at Akiha, who still has her back against the inquisitor.

 _Swoosh!_

"Stay back, Kohaku!" Akiha pushed her maid away and turned to Ciel. Two of the flying blades were knocked off by a heat wave, and the last one was caught by...

"Wow, that's some impressive hair." Ciel complimented the extending hair. It was as if they have their own will as they stopped the Black Key and flung it to the ground.

"Fine then." The weary headband girl glared at the completely healed nun and gave her a strained smile. "I will kill you over and over and over again."

"I see." Ciel replied and extended her arm. Droplets of water formed on her fingers and starting dripping onto the floor.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip. BOOM._

"?!" Akiha exclaimed in shock as the entire open space was covered in a dense fog. _'I can't see...!'_ She searched around for the Church's inquisitor and found nothing since her eyes could not see through the vapor.

"Your power relies heavily on what you can see, so you wouldn't want to put yourself in a situation such as this. Therefore, I imagine you are not used to fighting under such conditions." A voice sounded from within the imperceptible fog. Her opponent's calm and collected tone has made the Tohno head increasingly stressful.

"Even if you were to use a booster, taking into account the toll it takes on you, you can't attack me the way you did before... am I right?" Ciel appeared behind Akiha and slashed at the girl's back with Black Keys.

"Shut up!" Surprisingly, the nun missed. Akiha had ducked down and caught Ciel's arm. "SHUT UP!" The young girl roared and a burst of heat was formed as it blasted away her attacker and the surviving foliage in front of her.

Ciel leaped up to the sky threw more Black Keys at the raging girl. Even though Akiha tried her best to evade the flying blades, she was still grazed in the shoulder. She held her bleeding wound in pain and gave out another roar.

Another heat wave headed towards the young nun. Seeing the incoming assault, the charred Ciel calmly took out another set of holy blades and exhaled. She then hurled them at the injured girl. When the Black Keys came into contact with the heat... they exploded.

 _Pant. Pant._

Moonlight shined down upon the open area as the flames from the detonation enveloped the greenery. The young nun has disappeared, leaving only the Tohno head alone in the wilderness.

 _'Is, is she finally dead...?'_ Akiha crumbled down and lied against a tree while breathing heavily. She had used her ability multiple times when she was already worn out. Her body could no longer handle anymore strain. She was now virtually defenseless.

 _Crack._

 _'Huh? Don't tell me...'_ Someone has stepped on a tree branch. Akiha collected the remaining energy she possessed and lifted her head, launching a blast of heat that was many times smaller than the previous ones she had used against Ciel.

"Ugh." The Church's inquisitor merely moved her hand to shield her face from the attack and uttered. "Wow. Your power is an incredible one."

 _'H-How? Why is she still standing after all the attacks I have used against her?!'_ Akiha widened her eyes at the nun's careless tone. "What... what do you want?" The young girl voiced out in difficulty as she couldn't even muster any strength to speak normally. "You came, to kill me, didn't you?"

Ciel bit her lips at the question and gazed at the panting girl earnestly. "If you put your mind to it, you could easily disintegrate me. Just by willing it to happen... But you didn't do it. Are you afraid that if you do that, the people so dear to you will turn against you, and your world will be worthless?"

Ciel extended her arm forward and show it to Akiha. Her hand, which was burned to a crisp as all her fingers excluding her thumb were gone, was regenerating at a rapid rate. The hand was healing at a pace that was visible to human eyes as if time itself was being rewound.

 _'Is she... immortal?'_ Akiha stared in shock at the impossible sight. Without a word, Ciel pulled out a Black Key from her frock and grabbed the headband girl's hand. "I'm sorry." She placed the blade in Akiha's hand and pulled it upwards, inserting it into her left eye.

"Ahh..." The young girl cried out. _'N-No...! N-Not like this... I... I...'_ She had never murdered someone before. Controlled by the instincts of her demon blood, she had went insane and killed the nun earlier. However, she was currently sane.

 _'Nii... Nii-san...'_ Seeing blood flowing from Ciel's eye, Akiha's hands trembled as she tried to call out for her brother.

"You're trembling." It was at that moment that the young nun, who was supposed to be dead seeing that her brain was pierced, spoke up gently. "So you weren't the one, after all. Because, you. You aren't capable of killing people." After leaving those words, Ciel pulled out the blade from her eye and left the forest.

 _Rustle. Rustle._

"-sama, where are you?!" A shout came from a nearby thicket. A few seconds later, a redhead ran out of the bushes and spotted the person she was searching for. "Akiha-sama!" Kohaku raced towards the fallen girl and supported her up. "Are you hurt, Akiha-sama!"

Akiha, still holding the Black Key, ignored her maid's worried look and gazed at the blade in her hand. _"Are you afraid that if you do that, the people so dear to you will turn against you, and your world will be worthless?"_ The question which Ciel asked her earlier echoed in her mind. _'I was going easy on her... because I was scared...?'_

"Ah...!" Akiha clenched her fists and threw the Black Keys away. She gritted her teeth and cried out. She howled, screaming out all the frustrations she was feeling. "AAAH...!"

* * *

Morning sun rises as the orange sky brightened up the entire town with its glow.

Misaki Municipal High School was a local high school which Shiki and his friends went to. The white building was four-story tall. It has the appearance of a standard high school, with paned windows facing the entrance. The structure was built in an L-shape and a track field was located at its center. An auditorium stood on the east as a basketball court was located behind it.

Tohno Shiki walked pass the school gate and turned left. _'What the...'_ He frowned since he saw that someone had wrecked the flowers and the white wooden fence. Why would someone do this? Were they so bored that they decided to destroy school property in order to vent their boredom? The hell's wrong with people these days?

"Hmm?" Shiki heard the sound of solid objects hitting against one another. He looked around and spotted a girl hammering a piece of wood on the ground. "Good morning, Senpai." Shiki approached Ciel, who was crouched down and wiping her sweat.

"Huh?" At the familiar voice, the young girl raised her head and noticed how near her underclassman was. "Oh, hi, Tohno-kun. What's up?" Ciel smiled and greeted back.

"Well, I was wondering what you're doing."

"Someone ruined the fence around the flowerbed, so I'm fixing it." Ciel pointed at the ruined garden.

"I see." Shiki smiled softly. "But I think school is starting soon. Won't someone come to fix it if you just report it to the facilities manager?"

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right, but..." The young girl turned around and gestured at the school building. "Right by the window on the second floor. My seat is right there. When I looked over here from where my seat was, I noticed that the fences were broken in three sections."

"At first I was thinking of just reporting it to the facilities manager. But because I sit right by the window, I couldn't help but stare at it. If it doesn't get fixed right away, I'll probably keep looking at it and get distracted during class."

"When I realized that, I couldn't just sit there and do nothing about it. So before I knew it, I was borrowing tools from the facilities manager."

"Heh heh." Shiki chuckled. His upperclassman was really kind. She was repairing the fences even though she was not responsible for it.

"Wha, what is it?" Ciel held the hammer tightly as she blushed in embarrassment.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about the image of you standing out in the hallway-" The high school boy gazed down and saw how dirty her hand was. He scratched his cheek and looked away. "Can I borrow some of the tools? If the two of us do it together, maybe we won't be late."

"But... all I have left is this part, so it should be fine." Hearing Shiki's offer, Ciel smiled brilliantly.

"You probably didn't notice it, but the fences over there are broken too." The glasses boy moved near the school gate and pointed at the ruined flowerbed. "And I figure you'll be distracted again if you find those. Besides, I was concerned about it myself."

...

"Ugh." Shiki opened his eyes and saw concrete ceiling. _'This is... the school infirmary...?'_ He scanned the room and sighed. _'Did I pass out from an anemia attack again?'_ He quickly stood up and picked up his black gakuran.

"Man, it's already evening. Why am I here at school for?" He exited the room, and looked out the window. The sky was dark orange, signifying that the sun was starting to set. _'I should go home.'_ He walked down the corridor leisurely.

 _'Um?'_ However, it was as if his instincts tugged at him, before he could move to the staircase and leave the school, the young boy decided to head upstairs. _'Ah, I need some fresh air anyway.'_ When he arrived at the rooftop, he moved closer to the edge in order to take in the scenery of the setting sun.

 _'The things that have happened... could it be that I have done them all without realizing?'_ Shiki supported himself against the railings and gazed at the faraway buildings. _'Am I Roa, after all?'_

The dreams, the nightmares he's been having all indicated that he has been attacking innocent people during the night. And the only remaining Dead Apostle remaining in this city was the Serpent of Akasha, who has the ability to reincarnate into others' body.

He had similar dreams for the past two days. He hunted down humans and sucked out their blood. He devoured their flesh and the ones who survived were turned into either ghouls or the Dead. With these proofs, the chances that he was actually the Dead Apostle Ancestor's eighteenth incarnation was incredibly high.

 _'Tonight... How am I supposed to face her?'_ Shiki recalled the face of the young girl who he had accompanied for the past few nights. The last True Ancestor trusted him and never doubted him as the current incarnation of Roa.

So what if he turned out to be the vampire's eighteenth incarnation...? What will he tell the blonde vampire? Will they fight each other? Will Arcueid try to kill him because he housed Roa's soul? Does he has what it takes to murder the young girl again? Will he be able to keep on living while knowing that he and Roa were one and the same?

"Tohno-kun..." Shiki flinched at the abrupt utterance. He breathed deeply to calm himself down before turning around, coming face to face with a blue-haired young girl.

It was Ciel.

"What's the matter, Ciel-senpai?" The glasses boy smiled softly and greeted his upperclassman.

"That's my line! You seemed quite depressed, you know?" Ciel pointed at the young boy's gloomy face.

"Do I?" Shiki said. "Don't worry about me, Senpai. It's just that I had a bad dream this morning. I will be fine after a night's rest."

"But I am worried." Ciel raised her voice. "You look like you're about to disappear from the face of earth. Could it be that you have an incredible dilemma on your hands?" The young girl stepped closer and took out two juice boxes from her skirt's pockets.

"Here!" She handed one to the gloomy boy and gave him a warmhearted smile. "Tell me about it. Your behavior tells me that you're taking it all upon yourself. You know how they say that even if it doesn't solve the problem, you'll feel better after telling someone about it. I can halve your burden, Tohno-kun!"

"No... It's not something I can tell anyone." Shiki gripped the juice box and looked down at the rooftop floor.

"Which means you are worried about something." Ciel touched Shiki hand and tried to comfort him.

"!" Shiki pulled away and lashed out against the concerned upperclassman. "It's none of your business, Senpai!" He threw the juice box on the floor and yelled out. "SO PLEASE, LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"...I understand..." Shiki bit his lips when Ciel replied. Although it seemed that he wanted to reject the young girl's help. Nevertheless, deep down in his heart, he wanted someone to understand him and sympathize with him. Fortunately, his wish was granted when she opened her mouth once again."...not."

"Did you think I'd back off so easily?" Ciel gave Shiki a caring smile. "I'm not leaving your side until you do."

"...That's messed up." Shiki fought off his blush and uttered quietly.

"I don't care if it is! It's better than having you look like that." The young girl's blue hair fluttered against the blowing wind. Shiki was stunned by how charming she looked. The orange sun behind her amplified her beauty further as its light radiated her smile with a charming luster.

However, the beautiful scene was immediately destroyed when he remembered the nightmare he saw. He exhaled and turned around. "Thanks, Ciel-senpai. But it's really okay." Even though he might not be able to forget those gruesome sights, he was now determined to find out the truth.

"It's true that I'm troubled, but my problem is a little abnormal. It's not something I can tell you about." It was all thanks to the young girl behind him that he managed to regain his courage, so he was not about to get her involved with all the messed up occurrence that is the moonlit world.

Ciel seemed to be hurt by his words. Though at the next moment- "NO, YOU MUST TELL ME!" She pouted and grabbed the boy's shoulder.

"HUH?!" Shiki took a step back. "I-I said I can't tell you!"

"Nothing good will come out of being troubled alone!" The young girl inched closer and held Shiki harder. Thus, the serious atmosphere that has been built up earlier have all vanished. And then, they started arguing.

"I-I can't!"

"You'll feel better if you tell me!"

"No!"

"Please, you must tell me!"

"I won't tell you, no matter what!"

"Why can't you even tell me a little bit?!"

"Because...!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Another chapter completed!** **And yes, it's more canon stuff~ Though they are slightly altered to fit the story~**

 **Fufun.** **You thought Ciel was dead, didn't you? Speak. Come, speak. Speak quickly. Admit it to me.**

 **superpierce: Nein, it's canon. C:**

 **Stratos263: Well, the Nasuverse is a really dark place. Priests, Magi, Dead Apostles, Phantasmal Species, they are all portrayed in a dark yet realistic way. Akiha is insane because she's being influenced by her demon blood.**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	38. Creatures of the Night (Part 10)

Throughout the city, a similar scene repeated itself again and again.

Six individuals were racing around, eliminating every vampire, ghoul, or Dead they managed to run across.

One of them was a young high school student wearing glasses. With a gloomy expression, he scouted the back alleys and hunted every single nonhuman creature he's found. Tohno Shiki swiped his knife at another member of the Dead and bisected it into several parts.

As the limbs fell onto the ground, he bolted forward and cut down another snarling undead. He has done the same action again and again and again for the past hour. The endless amount of Deads would rush toward him every time he discovered one of them.

"Die." Slashing down, another member of the foul creatures collapsed into the pool of blood he has created. "Die..." Shiki swung the blade around as he was lost in his killing spree. He vented all his frustrations on the bloodsuckers, and was slowly being controlled by his murderous instincts. "Die!"

Far away, on the other side of Misaki Town, was a young blonde girl.

 _Slash_ Arcueid put an end to another ghoul and gazed at the sky worriedly. "What's going on, Shiki?" The young boy she's met earlier was unlike the same person she has met the past few days. His depression and self-blame were obvious as he only spoke a few words to her before running away.

They have put in all their efforts in order to eliminate the Dead, but Shiki seemed to not be satisfied even when the majority of them were already gone.

 _'He's probably holding himself responsible for what happened to his classmate, and something seemed to be plaguing his mind as well... I should talk to him after this... Yes, let's do that.'_ The last True Ancestor nodded to herself and proceeded to cleaned out the nest she's found before gazing up at the sky once again.

 _'Please be safe, Shiki...'_

Atop a building, close to where Shiki was, stood a pale man.

He looked down and observed the massacre that the black-haired boy was doing. Again, a Dead was disarmed. Again, a Dead was disabled. Again, a Dead was killed. He narrowed his eyes and a mocking grin was formed. "Soon... I will kill you with my own hands..."

"Fake."

* * *

A few hours ago.

 _Pant pant._

"I never knew you were such a meddler..." The pair breathed heavily after yelling at each other for a few minutes.

"That's right, I'm a very stubborn and meddling Senpai!" The sweating Ciel grinned happily. "I'm glad you've returned to your normal self a bit-"

When the young girl was about to finish her sentence, Shiki closed his eyes and leaped to the side, dashing for the doors. However, as if having anticipated that, Ciel moved before him and blocked his exit.

"I guess I can't win..." Shiki sighed and raised his arms in surrender. He scratched his chin and went to pick up the fallen juice box. He then slid down and lied against the rooftop railings. "I know it's absurd, so you don't have to believe me. It's actually better if you get exasperated... Erm, you know about the vampire killings, right?"

"Yes." Ciel inserted the drinking straw into her own juice box and glanced at the sitting boy.

"Senpai, I think I might be the criminal."

"...Is that what you're troubled about? What makes you think you might be the killer?" The young girl leaned against the railings with a half-hug posture. "Hmm. If that's the case, then that means you're a vampire, Tohno-kun. Have you ever been bitten by a vampire before?"

"No. This vampire is one that reincarnates..." Shiki replied gravely. "...and it just takes over your body without warning."

"And that's inside your body, Tohno-kun?" Ciel asked.

"That's the only explanation I can come up with." The young boy looked down and spoke up mockingly. "See, Ciel-senpai? You don't believe me, do you?"

"What is it an explanation for?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, what exactly makes you think you're a vampire?"

"I... see dreams. And those dreams... They are very realistic. In them, I kill people and drink their blood. And then..."

"And did the things in your dream happen in real life too?" All of a sudden, a neutral yet cold tone came from the upperclassman. "I thought so, because you smelled of blood."

"...Senpai?" Shiki rise up and distanced himself from the smiling Ciel. The young girl he always knew seemed incredibly foreign at the moment. It was as if she was a total stranger...

"There's no need to worry. You're not a vampire." Ciel merely laughed at the boy's stunned expression. "Well, I guess you won't believe me. I also thought that you were Roa at first."

"Senpai... did you just say... Roa?" Shiki widened his eyes at the mention of the Dead Apostle's true name. Ciel wasn't supposed to know that, what was-

"Yes. I came here in order to kill Roa. I am the most knowledgeable on Roa in the Church." The inquisitor ignored the shocked boy and asked. "Oh, have you heard of the Church?"

"Wait... Senpai. You're our... upperclassman-" Shiki broke down in a cold sweat.

"It's a lie that I'm your Senpai. I've put a spell on everyone in order to keep a close watch on you. Though the food at the cafeteria was really good so I overstayed a bit." Ciel laughed softly and turned to the young boy. "Please rest assured, you're not Roa.

"Tohno-kun, you have a lot going on, but you're actually just a student. Now that I have told you this much, do you believe me a little more?"

"...I don't know, it's all so confusing." The black-haired boy held his face. _'So it was all a lie...?'_

"You're right, I'm sorry." The Church's inquisitor chuckled. "Tohno-kun, here's some advice from a Senpai. Like I said, you're just a normal student, so it's best for you not to get involved." Ciel finished her sentence and hopped on the railings.

"Senpai, be careful!" Shiki yelled and extended his hand seeing the young girl standing on the railings. If she fell off, she will die...!

"There's no more reason for me to stay here. It's true that fun things don't last..." Ciel smiled for one last time and then leaped off. "Farewell, Tohno-kun."

"Senpai?!" Shiki rushed up to the railings and glanced down.

She was gone.

It's ironic how the cold metal he was holding reminded him that how far he has separated from the common world.

First it was Yumizuka.

The always-cheerful classmate who liked him.

She has became a vampire and has to murder innocent people in order to survive.

And now it's Ciel.

The kind, calm, friendly, and peaceful upperclassman who he respected.

She is an inquisitor who came to Misaki Town in order to hunt down the reincarnating Dead Apostle Ancestor.

What has happened to his ordinary life?

Arcueid Brunestud, the last True Ancestor.

Nrvnqsr Chaos, the tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor.

Michael Roa Valdamjong, the numberless Dead Apostle Ancestor.

Yumizuka Satsuki, the transformed young girl.

And Ciel, the Church's Executor.

"Will... will anyone tell me... just what the hell is going on?!" The young boy screamed out... but no one was there to answer him. This has became his fate the moment he decided to be involved with the supernatural.

 _'Welcome to the moonlit world.'_ A soft yet satirical whisper sounded out. It came from nowhere, and Shiki wasn't able to hear it. _'Fake.'_

* * *

"What...?"

It was during nighttime. The sun has finally set as the quiet mountain town descended into darkness. Slowly, and slowly, Misaki Town was brightened up by the lights of its inhabitants.

"What, what happened here...?" Akiha and Kohaku were frozen in horror. The alleyway was a sea of blood. Arms, legs, heads, bones, and pieces of flesh painted the entire place in the color of crimson.

Fighting back the urge to vomit, the young girls steeled their hearts and stepped through the sprawled limbs. They followed the trail of blood and entered the woods. Walking pass the trees and thick bushes, they discovered a stone path which led towards a temple.

At the open area, between the stone path and the temple's stairs, stood a bloodied man. He was surrounded by tens of corpses, and seeing that he was the only one left standing and had a knife in his hand, it could be concluded that he was either the last survivor of the bloodbath or he was the one who had killed everyone here.

Detecting two new presence, the murderer slowly turned his head back. He grinned because he sensed inhuman blood flowing within the young girl with long black hair. He swung his knife, emptying the blood on it, and dashed towards the unsuspecting young girl.

"Nii, Nii-san?!" Akiha screamed seeing her own brother glaring at her with murderous intents. Luckily, the young boy stopped before another head was severed since he saw the face of his dear younger sister when he raised his head.

"I'm, I'm sorry, Akiha..." Shiki muttered and tried his best to smile.

"Nii-san, you..."

"Akiha... I'm sorry I... kept quiet about, sneaking out again..." Leaving those words, Shiki collapsed.

"Nii-san?! Nii-san!" Akiha quickly caught the young boy in her laps. "What... What happened to you?!" She touched the fallen boy's face with concern while Kohaku examined him for any injuries. The maid nodded at her mistress, and received a relieved sigh in response.

It was at that moment, when a figure floated down from the sky and onto the temple's stairs.

"...Akiha, why are you here?" He was a young, pale-skinned man with a loose, blue kimono. His eyes were red and his hair was white. "Why do you bother with a fake like him? Why do you call him your brother?" The man stepped closer and gave her a malicious grin. "Move. I have to pay him back for killing me, after all."

The pale man's true name was Tohno SHIKI, the true son of the Tohno family and the eighteenth reincarnation of Michael Roa Valdamjong. Tohno Shiki, the young boy with glasses, was in truth, Nanaya Shiki.

Shiki is in fact not a real member of the Tohno family. He is not Akiha's biological brother, and he is not Makihisa's son. While the Tohno family is a family with demon blood, Shiki's real surname is Nanaya, a family of powerful demon-slaying assassins.

The Nanaya clan lived in a secluded mansion in the mountains, but was one night destroyed by the Tohno clan and the Crimson Red Vermillion, Kishima Kouma. Shiki was the only survivor of that attack. In a moment of amused irony, Makihisa spared and adopted the boy because his name was similar to the name of Makihisa's eldest son, SHIKI.

Shiki had lived in a small Japanese-style building on the grounds of the Tohno's western-style mansion for a time before the incident which led to the death of Tohno SHIKI, the eldest child of the Tohno family.

Akiha had shared her lifeforce and resurrected the near-death Shiki when he protected her from SHIKI, who had fell to his Inversion Impulse. They were quickly found out by the adults and as with the traditions of the Tohno household, SHIKI was to be killed by his father, Tohno Makihisa, but he managed to revive himself by stealing Shiki Nanaya's life.

He regained a measure of his sanity, so Makihisa was unsure about killing him. While he was officially declared deceased to the rest of the family and officially replaced by Shiki Nanaya, he was kept locked in the Tohno Mansion's cellar.

Makihisa planned to bring him back into the family after he healed, but he remained locked up for around eight years. He eventually broke out after Makihisa's death and now ran rampant as the current reincarnation of the numberless Dead Apostle Ancestor.

"You're wrong. You're the fake." Akiha, who realized the true identity of the pale man, spoke up with denial. She stood up and shielded Shiki and Kohaku from the approaching man. "Step aside, or I'll kill you before you get a chance to kill my Nii-san."

"It's the duty as the head of the Tohno household to kill inverted members like you. And don't act like we are related, I won't forgive you for insulting my Nii-san." Akiha said with a threatening glare and rejected their sibling relationship.

"...Why?" SHIKI responded in a deep and callous tone. "Why are... even you betraying me? You'll protect him even though he had almost killed you? That can't be right?" His mocking grin disappeared, and it was replaced by a face full of hatred. " **DON'T** let him trick you! I **AM** the real Tohno Shiki! Get it?! That man is just-"

"Be quiet." Akiha cut the enraged man off. "I won't let you kill my Nii-san again."

"This is the end." SHIKI was hurt. It was as if his heart was ruptured by a thousand spikes. He was hurt by the rejection of his sister, who he truly loved and wished to protect since he first met her. He gritted his teeth and uttered. "Move... Akiha."

"I won't. Because you..." She clenched her fists and cried out. "Because you're **not** my Nii-san...!"

SHIKI stared at the young girl who he genuinely loved and took a step back. "...I see." He laughed. It was a voice of pure irony and ridicule. _'So in the end, you blame me for the curse of blood?'_ The sound of his laughter quietened down. He exhaled and calmed himself down. "Then, die."

All of a sudden, a flash of electricity was generated from SHIKI's raised hand and raced towards the three. Akiha quickly put up defenses by creating pressurized heat in front of her. However, she was not fast enough since the electric traveled at the speed which she could not respond to.

Fortunately, before the spell of death can hit the helpless teens, a barrier was erected around them. It deflected the attack away as Akiha and Kohaku broke down in a cold sweat at the amount of force generated from the impact. If the spell were to hit them, they would've been burnt to a crisp and till nothing remained.

Moving her gaze downwards, Akiha discovered something embedded in the ground.

It was a Black Key.

"Akiha-san!"

A blue-haired young girl dropped down from the sky and landed besides the headband girl. "Take Tohno-kun and get out of here, now!" She yelled out an order and pulled out a set of Black Keys. "He's a vampire!" She flung the blades at SHIKI and the ground where the pale man stood exploded.

 _'A... Vampire...?'_ Akiha didn't know. She didn't know, that SHIKi was a Dead Apostle. She didn't know, that he was the incarnation of Roa. The young girl merely stood there motionless as she stared at the eldest Tohno incredulously.

"You..." SHIKI jumped onto the temple's roof after getting bombarded by Black Keys. "Hmm?" The vampire noticed the familiar features. He scrutinized the Church's inquisitor in front of him and suddenly laughed out loud. _'This is... Oh!'_

"Wonderful!" He held his mouth and tried to suppress his laughter. "Is that it, woman? I can't believe it. It's that body, isn't it?! Amazing... this is the first time this has happened in 800 years... in 17 reincarnations. How did you manage to cheat death that time? To think that that body had enough capacity to resurrect from such a state! I must say, I am extremely interested..."

"Elesia."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Ah, can't find the motivation to write. _*Falls onto bed and rolls around*_**

 **I have been contemplating whether to keep using Japanese words or not when some characters refer to another, e.g. Akiha calling Shiki Nii-san, and Illya calling Shirou Onii-chan instead of brother. I mean, won't it be weird if Sakura starts calling Shirou senior instead of Senpai (Sempai)? What do you guys think?**

 **Stratos263: Good~ At least I got someone who's never seen Tsukihime before :D**

 **Guest: Just think of it as a story with multiple characters instead of one main character, with Titus having more appearances~**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	39. Creatures of the Night (Part 11)

_I was scared... Really scared..._

 _So I locked myself in my room for many days... Many days..._

 _From the depths of my heart rises the Snake. A terrible and ominous existence._

 _I knew deep in my heart that if this keeps up, I will do something really terrifying._

 _But in the end, it was all for naught._

 _Staying in this prison of a room drained away my consciousness. And it soon passed my limits._

 _"Oh!_ _You are finally willing to come out?"_

 _"...Has it been a hundred years? This time's body isn't bad. It has great magical potential."_

 _That is a voice that even I have never heard of before._

 _The first thing I did after not stepping out of my room for three weeks is... is t_ _o satisfy my thirst using my father's blood._

 _When I saw him, I smiled. No, I was not happy to meet my dear family. I was happy, I was elated, because... because I met **food**._

 _My father was my first. His blood... those beautiful crimson... they were truly otherworldly._

 _Ah... how I wish I could drink more of those crimson elixir... Yes, t_ _hat's right. Since I need more blood... Let's go out and hunt then._

 _Let's hunt them down... those weak... and delicious, live stocks, alright? My dear..._

 _Elesia._

* * *

"Hahaha!" Ciel deflected Roa's electric attack away and lunged at him. "Now this is what I'm talking about!" The vampire leaped away from her charge and started casting another spell in mid-air.

"Eh...!" Before the spell was able to manifest, he was slashed in the chest by Black Keys. SHIKI was caught off guard since wasn't paying attention when Ciel jumped towards him from the roof. The young girl quickly used an utility pole as support and plunged at the wounded man.

The Black Key headed towards the vampire's neck and- "Argh!" Lightning rained down on the young nun and the flying blades were all knocked off course. Ciel fell onto the roof, causing SHIKI to smirk and cast more spells.

However, he was interrupted once more when the young girl dashed out from the smoke that were caused by his spells' aftereffects. "Roa!" She hurled a set of blades at him and then proceeded to impale him with another set.

"Pity." Ciel widened her eyes when Roa simply ignored the six blades stuck within his body. The bloodsucker grinned mockingly and launched an electric strike at her in point blank range. The attack hit the Church's inquisitor directly. She was shocked and then smashed to the temple stairs.

 _Thump._

"Even I would like to hear the screams of the one who was previously me." The motionless body lied on the ground. "Looks like I went overboard. Unfortunately, now I won't be able to hear your screams." The pale man landed on the floor and looked down at the young girl with contempt in his eyes.

"Black Keys, huh?" He pulled out the six blades stuck in his chest and his back before discarding them. "That is an ancient weapon... But this time, this body is a little special, you see." Pulling out the last sword, he pointed it at Ciel's neck, ready to finish the job.

"After being hit by an attack once, this body will put up defenses which makes that attack no longer effective in the next round. To wish to defeat me without upgrading your weapons... I am seriously underestimat-"

"-ted" SHIKI expression froze when the fallen nun who was one foot in the grave rise up and cut off his arm. "Aah!" Ciel wrenched the blade from the severed arm and slashed the Dead Apostle's chest.

"Argh...!" She fell down the stairs and onto the open area. _'That should-"_

"If mine is a hand, then yours would be a leg, no?" Ciel stopped dead when she was about to stand up again. This voice... but that attack should've at least incapacitated him for a few seconds...! "Guh!" Electric current surrounded her as a blue flash separated her left leg from her body.

"Just what is going on with you? You most definitely died back then, didn't you?" The pale man frowned when he saw that half of Ciel's body were already charred black. Her left eye was ruptured and her leg was bleeding badly. How was she not dead even with all these injuries?

"Time reversal? No, that's not it... That regeneration is not a result of magical power, is it? Even now I cannot feel the flow of any Magic Circuits..." He scrutinized the wounded girl. After a few seconds, something seemed to go off in his head as he realized the truth. "...is that so?"

"You are my reincarnated existence. If we think about it this way, I can understand why this body feels the same as that of the last time. Now if you think about it, you might just be my 'daughter'..." Roa picked up three Black Keys he discarded earlier and hurled them towards the nun's chest.

"Ugh-" Ciel coughed out blood and collapsed.

"But being your father... it really does hurt my heart."

...

Ciel, as Elesia, was born in 1976 in a remote village in France to a French father and an Oriental mother. Due to a high degree of magical potential, she was born as Michael Roa Valdamjong's seventeenth incarnation. His sixteenth was destroyed by Arcueid Brunestud before he had a chance to find a family bloodline with both wealth and power.

He could only fulfill the requirement that his next incarnation would have physical potential, so he was born into a normal family without any social standing. Her body instead had extremely high magical potential, which is the closest in power to his original body in all of his incarnations.

She grew up normally in the village, though she felt out of place due to looking like her mother. The townspeople were kind to her, and she lived happily, helping out in her father's shop, going to school, and falling in love like normal.

Everything changed around her sixteenth birthday, when Roa finally began to manifest. She wanted to snap the necks of her friends for no reason, and the sight of a beggar on the road was so funny that she wanted to stab him with a knife.

She tried her best to resist the impulses by locking herself away in her room. It was not the same as possession, as she equated the feelings to those normal small destructive passions that all humans possess solidified inside her mind.

She knew something terrible would happen if she were to let them take over, so she tried not to see anyone or do anything to avoid hating anyone and bring about her feelings. In the end, she locked herself in her room, which was a large mistake, because that gave time for her mind to grind away and finally surpass its limits.

She became completely replaced with Roa after that point, but still felt his actions as her own. With only the thought of her thirstiness, she left her room for the first time in months, and after greeting her worried parents with a smile, bit into their necks and sucked their blood.

Roa greatly enjoyed the amount of power the body gave him. Due to her having no social standing, it took him time to take over, and it was difficult to do so without having people notice.

He committed various atrocities to the citizens as he enjoyed using a body with true power, but it was not as wild as previous times and without as much blood spilled. The will of the incarnation still comes from the body, so she still had some power over his actions.

She took the townspeople she loved one by one, and she humiliated and mutilated their souls. She figured that she would go insane, but also figured that insanity would cause her to commit even more sins than before.

She tried to minimize the damage in order to persevere and keep her sanity. It only took a month before she was in full control of them and playing with their lives however she wished.

Her only solace was that it ended quickly. After the town was completely under Roa's control, he was inevitably hunted down by Arcueid, who managed to find him after two days of searching. She found him on a night with a crimson moon, and he was killed after their fight.

Elesia's body was taken by the Church to the Vatican. She eventually revived with her original personality without any of Roa's influence, while Roa moved on to his next incarnation, SHIKI Tohno.

Her body naturally healed her over time, and due to her connection to Roa, she gained immortality in the form of a paradox that says she will not die as long as Roa continues to exist.

After being killed repeatedly by the Church for an entire month in an attempt to study her immortality and to vanquish her as a heretic, she was taken in by the Burial Agency due to her unique nature. Her main desire and mission being the elimination of Roa to end her eternal existence.

...

"It was truly careless of me just then." The pale vampire picked up another blade and examined it with leisure. He was caught off guard by her pseudo-immortality earlier, which gave her a pretty good chance at finishing him off. However, she had failed. "That really was a good chance. But..."

"Why aren't you using my knowledge?" The body of Elesia possessed Magic Circuits that easily exceeded the body of Tohno SHIKI. If only the young girl desired to, she could turn this whole temple and its surroundings to rubber at anytime.

 _Swoosh!_

Roa hurled the Black Key at Ciel. "Ugh!" It pierced the blue nun's palm. She cried out in pain and glared at the uncaring Dead Apostle in front of her. "Hah... hah... hah... Eh!" She panted heavily, then mustered all her strength and pulled out the blade from her hand before pouncing towards Roa.

The pale man titled his body and evaded the pitiful attempt at retaliation. "Is it for revenge?" He smirked and then stole the Black Key from the powerless girl's grasp. He then threw it at her ankle, which caused her to trip and fall onto the ground.

"ROA!" Ciel yelled out and leaped backwards. _'How can I give up, when you're right here in front of my face?! You'll pay for all the sufferings... all the pain I have experience for the past twenty years...! You'll die here today-'_

 _Shlick._

The young girl crumbled down as a Black Key was flung and inserted into her forehead. Then, another was thrown and directly impaled her heart.

"Did you think that as long as you have the world's power of restoration, you can simply depend on your own body to fight? Or is using the Magecraft I granted you a betrayal to yourself?" SHIKI stared at the inquisitor emotionlessly... before his face twisted into a malicious grin. "But I'm glad."

"It's hard to believe that you were the one who gave in to your desires and enjoyed the utmost pleasure back in that village." He stepped on the girl's unmoving body and kicked it away.

 _'That's not... true. I desperately...'_ Ciel coughed out blood and glanced up at Roa. _'This vampire's... Because of that wish of his...'_ It was a dream she's seen for multiple times. A field of white flowers, surrounded by mountains and a giant moon. A lone man stood there, mesmerized by 'her'... And she... she was-

"Argh...!" Ciel crawled up and put her palm on the floor. Electric currents were generated. They moved, and manipulated the Black Keys. The blades levitated to the sky and were guided to the pale man's direction. Lightnings howled, and with a flash of blue, fifty Black Keys bolted towards Roa.

 _Bang!_

The ground caved in as the blades rained down on the stunned man. _Bang! Bang! Bang!_ Ciel clenched her fists and coughed out blood as she felt her body burned from using her Magic Circuits. The weapons were directed and continuously struck the spot where the vampire stood.

"Hah... hah..." The young girl panted. She watched the dusts settled and saw the figure of her opponent. His eyes and mouth were wide open in shock, and he was no longer moving... This time, he's really-

"Heh." Ciel took a step backwards. Roa, who should be dead after being skewered by tens of anti-vampire blades, was still alive. The pale man before her grinned, and then disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

"...You want to kill me even if you have to disregard yourself?" Suddenly, Roa appeared behind the Church's inquisitor. He launched a spell right into her back, and she was not able to dodge since she was caught off guard.

"Heh... hahaha." Roa guffawed and glanced at the motionless Ciel. _'That power just now is nothing more than a reflection of my own. Such a violent attack can easily be defended against... is this the level that you are at?'_

"You really won't die, huh?" The vampire smirked and lifted his severed hand. He manipulated the dripping blood and created a crimson blade which extended from the stump. _'_ _Then let's use your immortal body to test it out. I acquired a most exquisite ability recently...'_ He kicked the young girl and knocked her towards the sky.

 _'As long as it's_ _alive...'_ SHIKI closed his eyes and something seemed to awaken inside him. When they were opened, the eyes, they were no longer the same. His piercing red eyes were glowing in a mesmerizing blue. Those were... _'I can kill even God himself!'_

 _'Those eyes...'_ They were Mystic Eyes, and ones which Ciel was incredibly familiar with, especially after observing a certain high school boy... They were-

"Wallow in your unfulfilled dreams and die!" Roa smiled maliciously and leaped upwards. He raised his hand and prepared the blood blade for the final blow... "Die- Argh!" However, someone prevented him. He was struck by a scorching heat and fell onto the floor.

"Aki... ha...!" The pale man glanced at the long-haired girl and frowned. And at that moment- _'We've been playing around for too long... and I've had enough.'_ SHIKI heard someone speaking from inside him. It was Roa. The true Serpent of Akasha and the numberless Dead Apostle Ancestor, Michael Roa Valdamjong.

The Serpent had allowed SHIKI free reign of the body since he knew that the eldest Tohno would be satisfied and pass on after getting his revenge on Nanaya Shiki. Nevertheless, they have used oo much energy fighting Ciel. He didn't want to waste more energy fighting Akiha. Though they might share the same mind and body, but they do not share the same soul.

"Hahaha, hahahaha!" SHIKI exhaled and gave off a final laugh. "Akiha... I'll see you again. And Elesia, I'll make sure to kill you the next time we meet." He activated his Magic Circuits to cast a spell, which covered the entire temple with white smoke, and then made his escape.

...

"All I did is move by my own will. It has no relation to your actions." Akiha crossed her arms and looked at Ciel, who was leaning against a tree. "By the way, it's not my hobby to save someone who looks like they want to die." The blue nun's eyes were lifeless. She had been staring at the ground sluggishly for the past few minutes.

"...Wanting to die, you say?" Hearing Akiha's words, Ciel froze. She breathed deeply and stood up straight. "Unfortunately, it seems like it's came to the point where you can't call him Onii-san anymore."

"...Just how much do you know?" The Tohno head narrowed her eyes. Ciel wasn't supposed to know the existence of Tohno SHIKI, and more importantly, their relationship.

"Well, let's just say it was a coincidence." The recovered nun laughed and gave Akiha her usual fake smile. _'That is to say. Why did she have the need to come out anyway?'_ Ciel turned around and frowned. _'Even against Akiha's Magic Circuits and Prana reserves, he showed no outer fear. I don't understand...'_

The Church's inquisitor sighed and walked towards a tiny shrine. She crouched down and inspected the ground before flaring up her Magic Circuits. She let Prana flew out, and caused a magic circle to materialize on the earth.

"What is this?" Akiha came from behind her and asked.

"A seal. It's from this area's barrier spell." The young nun touched the magic circle and scowled. "He was absorbing Mana from this area."

 _'He's been treating this whole town as a kettle for Mana. If I bend one seal just a little, they will quickly rearrange themselves right back to the original formation. But, I could control the whole structure if I use all my Prana. However, I've used up the majority of my reserves during the fight earlier, so I have to prepare something different to attack it.'_

 _'Like charging a castle...'_ She bit her lips in contemplation _. 'In such a short time, could the True Ancestor become such a glutton... No.'_

"Tohno-san" Ciel called out to the young girl behind her. "If, after one week, I don't contact you here, please seek the Church. If you say something about this area's enforcer, the Church will quickly send a response."

"The Church-" Akiha uttered.

"Well then, take care." The smiling nun voiced out and jumped up. She used a tree as support, and hopped onto an utility pole, then towards the city. _'There might be ten-odd places like that in this town. If I focus on where they gather...'_

 _'Then I can locate Roa's castle!'_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Surprise chapter~! Though it's just mo** **re altered canon story :D**

 **Thanks guys, I guess I will keep using Japanese for the honorifics~**

 **klim770: All right :-)**

 **Stratos263: Tsukihime is really good, but the anime adaptation was horrible~**

 **Cole shiryu: Elesia is Ciel's birth name and here's the backstory! As for Titus... you'll see... hmhmhm~**

 **superpierce: They will show up soon, probably the next chapter~ They might not get much appearances in this arc, but they will appear more often in the future ones.**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	40. Creatures of the Night (Part 12)

Misaki Municipal High School.

A pale man stepped foot onto the school grounds. Roa flared up his Magic Circuits and inspected the Bounded Field he has set up. Seeing that everything was fine, he nodded and entered the building, moving up to the fourth floor.

After the battle between the eldest Tohno and his previous incarnation, he was finally tired by SHIKI's antics and took over the body. Roa now has complete control over his current body and would not let that disgrace out again. He will steadily weaken SHIKI's soul, and then consume it.

For now, he has modified his appearance back to how he originally looked. His short hair grew longer and white turned to black. His body became more muscular and defined, and he put on an unbuttoned white shirt and black trousers. The only thing left that was similar to SHIKI was his piercing red eyes.

Just as he was about to access the center of his lair, he discovered that something seemed to be wrong. "What...?" Roa furrowed his brows at the strange feeling he experienced earlier. It was like he was being warned by his natural instincts while an awful premonition blossomed into his mind.

"Hah, what am I worrying about?" The pale man snickered and held the door's handle. This was his castle, his temple, his lair! The Bounded Field he erected was supplied by the Mana he has absorbed from the whole town, and it was large enough to surround the entire building.

The barrier would repel any intruders, and make all passerby ignore its existence. Any being with hostile intentions would be bombarded by his spells, which was powerful enough to destroy a house since he specializes in lightning based attacks, and most of his abilities involved electrical discharges.

He also has knowledge in High Speed Incantation, Simplified Repetitive Incantation, Suggestion, Church Sacraments, and Necromancy. What was there to worry about? He would know it instantly if even an ant were to step foot onto his territory. He chuckled and slammed the door open.

"Argh!" The moment he opened the door, Roa was greeted by shining metals. His arm was severed by a blade and if not for taking a step back from pain, his neck would have been cut. "You!" Narrowly avoiding having his head severed, the numberless Dead Apostle Ancestor quickly leaped back and glared at his assailant.

He was a young man in his early twenties. He has platinum blonde hair and striking teal eyes. The blonde man wore black vest with white shirt along with a black tie and black pants. His leather gloved hand was holding a one-handed long sword that was shining brightly.

The Dead Apostle could clearly feel how threatening the weapon was since it gave out an blindingly amount of sacred and holiness. He frowned, knowing that close combat was not his forte, and especially when against a holy sword.

He channeled his Prana, and an electric burst was formed between him and his opponent. Scowling, the vampire broke the windows and jumped down. Before falling to the ground, he held the second floor window's ledge and crash into the second floor's corridor.

Roa grinned maliciously and flared up his Magic Circuits as he tapped into the Bounded Field. With this, he could instantly annihilate the blonde man with the trap spells he had prepared beforehand. How should he end the intruder? Burn him to a crisp? Turn him into a pulp? Or should he just cut him into a thousand pieces? Haha-

The vampire's expression froze when he found that there was absolute no response from the barrier. He could not access it... No, he could not even detect it. It was as if the entire Bounded Field he has erected has disappeared without a trace.

He panicked slightly, though before quickly calming down. He has been in the world for eight centuries, and would not be frightened by a minor setback such as this. He could not use his Bounded Field, but he still has two more trump cards in his hand!

Roa raised his arm and watched a magnificent scene took place. His severed arm has almost healed. True Ancestors and Dead Apostles possess a form of limited immortality, called the Curse of Restoration.

This ability operates under normal conditions and causes the vampire's body to regress through time to its original vampiric state whenever it receives an injury. However, this ability is also tied to the phases of the moon. As the moon waxes, the degree of injury that can be repaired, as well as the speed of the regression increases dramatically.

It's just his luck that tonight was a night of full moon. In the sky, the dark clouds has parted themselves. A radiant orb was revealed for all the world to see. Roa guffawed, feeling his strength increasing from the moon's boost.

However, his laughter was cut short when a shining blade almost removed his head from his shoulder.

"Who are you, human?!" The numberless Dead Apostle Ancestor growled and launched several lightning spells at his opponent. "What did you do to my Bounded Field?" He gritted his teeth when he saw that all his attacks were parried by the blonde man.

"Answer me!" He discharged electricity and the entire corridor was charred black. The vampire narrowed his eyes and quickly rolled to the right when the ground protruded as an earth spike almost skewered him.

He clenched his fists when he noticed that all his assaults were either evaded or ineffective. "So you're a Magus as well?" Roa swung his hand at his enemy and distanced himself from the holy sword wielder. "And that weapon... and the strength it's giving off... Just who are you?"

"You talk too much." Titus, who was currently disguised as Alric von Leiqritus, swiftly slashed down and cut off three of the bloodsucker's fingers. Another jab, and five holes appeared on the vampire's chest.

Roa coughed out blood. The curse was already taking place as time was reversed and his injuries were rapidly healing. Understanding that he could not engage his opponent in melee any longer, he breathed deeply and activated his second trump card.

"Mage, witness my power!" The numberless Dead Apostle Ancestor cried out and his Magic Circuits burned. Magical energy overflowed as shades of purple covered the area. Lightning howled, and the purple grew deeper until something seemed to form. " **Overload!** "

This was Overload, Roa's ultimate move. As one of the Dead Apostle Ancestors, he possesses a Reality Marble. It applies the effect of Square, a spell that amplifies the power of other spells, to all of his spells while it is activated.

Immediately after his Reality Marble was deployed, the pale man yelled out and tens of electric currents were generated. They bombarded the blonde man until the entire second floor corridor were gone, and the floor above caved in... Within a single attack, half of the school were destroyed.

"See this?! This is the power of a Dead Apostle Ancestor...! Unlike Nero, that idiot who can only use his familiar, I am one who has mastered Magecraft that is infinitely close to True Magic! Did you see how strong my electrics are?! Hahaha!" Roa laughed when he received no response from his opponent.

With such a devastating strike, the blonde man must be dead. After all, despite being a Magus who wielded a holy sword, he was in the end, a human. He could not survive a full-on attack from a Dead Apostle Ancestor like him.

After a minute of silence, Roa stopped his Reality Marble and frowned at the scenery. "Damn it." His base, his lair... the temple his spent countless hours on was gone. It would take quite a while to rebuild another one. Luckily, the magical seals over Misaki Town were still present and he could link them to supply the new base that he would create.

The Dead Apostle Ancestor headed towards the ruined school. He removed the rubble through his Magecraft and searched for the corpse of his enemy. However... "Huh? Where the hell is he?" The bloodsucker scoured the wreckage and could not find the blonde Magus.

Just as he moved another debris away, a light sword came through the rubble and almost pierced his head if he didn't tilt it in time. Roa distanced himself and stared in silent shock as his assailant stepped out of the ruins... unharmed.

"H-How?" The man was not wounded in the slightest, and even his shirt wasn't dirty. "How did you evade my magic?!" The amplified spells could not have missed since it targeted the entire area. The only explanation was that either the man he faced earlier was a fake... or he could teleport.

But Spatial Transportation fall under True Magic, and he did not believe that the Magus was a Magician... So the enemy he faced was a substitute, or was substituted by another during their fight.

The possibility of his opponent's speed exceeding him didn't even cross his mind once. He was a Dead Apostle Ancestor, one who stood above the vampiric race, which was far above human. So how could a human be faster than him?

"So I fought a clone earlier, huh?" Roa calmed down and tried his best at suppressing his boiling anger. For someone like him to be toyed with... it was the highest insult he has ever experienced, and moreover, it was by someone from an inferior species.

" **Overload!** " Once again, he deployed his Reality Marble. He ignored the Prana cost and called out for the great power he has. The full moon shined down while the sky darkened. Thunder roared, and blue flashes jumped through the clouds.

All at once, tens of lightning, all amplified by his spell, rained down on the defenseless man. The ground caved in as nature's wrath obliterated everything in the area. And Roa didn't stop there, he summoned a giant lightning.

The thunderbolt crashed down on the spot the blonde man stood and earth flew to the sky. The force behind that attack was powerful enough to even disable the normal Arcueid Brunestud for a while. An ordinary human could not have survived that.

However, the aftermath shook him to the core.

His opponent was unharmed. Although his clothes were charred, the man's skin were without a singe.

 _"...Tonight, Death will appear before thee..."_ And as if mocking his futile attempts at killing the blonde man, a female voice sounded out in his mind. It was Rose Prophecy, the Dead Apostle who foresees the death of the Ancestors and warns them beforehand. Though this time, she was too late.

Before the vampire could fire more spells, Titus dashed towards him at a speed he could not perceive and slashed down on his head. Roa yelled, he screamed for his life and discharged massive amount of electricity.

His eyes widened when he saw his opponent moved through the blue flashes with leisure. "M-Magic Resistance?! YOU?!" All he could do was lift his hand and bring it down on the charging Magus. His claws, aiming for the man's head.

His last trump card was his eyes. He has managed to awaken a pair of Mystic Eyes with properties similar to Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. He could use them to aim for lines of death, killing off his enemies with ease.

Even though he could see the lines of death, he did not know of the existence of the points of death, because his eyes were not the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, but ones of another type. The Mystic Eyes of Life allowed him to see 'the point that makes things live', making them more akin to cutting the 'life' of a person rather than the 'death'.

He could not see lines on inanimate objects or destroy them, as it stems from the abilities of the Tohno's bloodline to perceive the 'life' of a being and then 'plunder' it. The lines seen by the eyes have the same placement as lines of death, causing him to believe that he has the same eyes Shiki has.

Just as his claws were about to puncture the blonde man, he heard the man uttered out... " **Light up this land, Alexandros.** "

With those words, the land became blinded by a radiant light.

The soft whispers and the promises of hope was voiced out at that moment. A Noble Phantasm, which symbolized the hope of men and wish to shield them from harm. Alexandros, the Shining Symbol of Light lit up, and rays of light rained down on the Dead Apostle.

When its true name is unleashed, two hundred and fifty rays of light from the sun will be refracted as they head towards the enemy's direction. A massive sunbeam will follow after the minor ones, it can literally be called a 'Photon Laser.' The time was night and its power was weakened, but it was still enough to annihilate the pale man to dusts.

 _Crash! Crash! CRACK!_

The lights dimmed as the final ray was shot down. The figure of the numberless Dead Apostle Ancestor was gone... He was dead.

Not giving the chance for the Serpent of Akasha to prepare for his next reincarnation, Titus pulled out Rasiel and watched it flip to a page. He wrote down the words which will completely erase the vampire from the world.

 _'_ _Michael Roa Valdamjong died and will not come back ever again.'_

"Is it done?" Rasiel hummed and disappeared in motes of light as Martha stepped out of a shadowed corner. She glanced at the bloodsucker's remains, and then moved her gaze to the sword in her Master's hand. It was a holy sword, one which she did not recognize. "That is...?"

"This." Understanding her question, Titus raised the Noble Phantasm for his Servant to see. Despite shining brightly, the sword does not blind anyone who land their eyes on it. He gently smiled and gave his answer. "This is hope."

* * *

 **Alexandros: Shining Symbol of Light**

 **Owner: ?**

 **Type: Anti-Army**

 **Rank: B-**

 **Range: 1~60**

 **Maximum number of targets: 250**

 **A holy sword which symbolizes the light and prosperity of man.**

 **It grants its wielder the ability generate, reflect, and refract all light in existence. However, it is a sword that is not meant to be used against the just, causing it to suffer a rank down when used against any hostile of good alignment. It is also slightly weakened during the night.**

 **When its true name is unleashed, two hundred and fifty rays of light from the sun will be refracted as they head towards the enemy's direction. A massive sunbeam will follow after the minor ones, it can literally be called a 'Photon Laser.'**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I AM COPPER AND I AM PROUD OF IT!**

 **A slightly shorter chapter, but it's a completed fight~**

 **I will move this story to Fate/stay night's section for some exposure~ Ah, please don't hurt me, I have a fragile heart D:**

 **And yeah, another original Noble Phantasm. I have so many stored here and I want to use them sooner or later :O**

 **Also, why not Excalibur? Firstly, Excalibur shouldn't be used that frivolously seeing how powerful it is, and it's not like Roa desired for the world's destruction so its not as effective compared to when it was used against Angra Mainyu.**

 **You know... I have this weird craving to write a Gamer/RPG story of Nasuverse, but I'm already so busy writing this one, so I probably won't do it. It'll probably be dark and the protagonist will be like Leylin Farlier from Warlock of the Magus World, but nope, not now at least.**

 **Stratos263: Yesh~ Ciel is an interesting character... Well, pretty much every characters from Nasuverse interests me~**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	41. Creatures of the Night (Part 13)

_"-you traitor...!"_

 _Within a dark dungeon, a scream of hatred sounded out from one of the jail cells. A middle-aged man was chained to the walls. He mustered all his strength and struggled, pulling the chains, and howling at the young man before him._

 _The restrained man cursed, screaming out every insults he knew towards the opposite man. He glared at him, wishing that the young man would be killed in the most horrible way and thrown into the deepest layers of hell for the work he has done._

 _The opposite man merely stared at the outraged prisoner, no matter what madness came out of his mouth, he simply stood there and took it all in. He gazed at the man with no pity nor remorse... because the choice he's made was one which he do not regret._

 _He would murder. He would poison._ _He would slaughter._ _He would assassinate. He would betray. No matter how heinous the acts he were to do, he would follow through since that was the path to his ideals._

 _He would give his own life if he could save others, but right now, he has to live... live to see another day in order to rescue more people from harm. The task has not yet been completed, he could not die yet._

 _In the end, someone has to sacrifice himself **.** However, he could not do that this time, so someone else has to be the sacrificed._

 _So die... please die, I will accept all your hatred, no matter how much you loath me, no matter how much you wish to me dead... I will accept it, so please._

 _Die._

"Once again." Semiramis opened her eyes as she woke up from her slumber. "Go on, show me your life's work, for I will not turn away, as it is the only form of respect I could provide." She smiled and closed her eyes, falling into slumber once more. "This time, and many more. I will observe... observe that heroic past of yours..."

* * *

"Ugh..." Opening his eyes, Shiki saw the familiar ceiling of his bedroom. _'I... That's right, I went after Roa last night, and then I...'_

"Good morning, Shiki-sama."

"Hisui?" The young boy lifted his head to his side. There, a few centimeters away from him, was the Tohno household's maid.

"Yes, Shiki-sama, it's Hisui." She picked up a wet towel and handed it to the high school boy.

"I... How long have I been asleep?" Shiki took the towel and wiped off his sweat. _'Ah, it's warm...'_

"It is now eleven in the morning and you have been asleep for ten hours, Shiki-sama." Hisui took the fabric back and returned it to the metal tray. "Akiha-sama, Ciel-sama, and... Arcueid-sama are having lunch downstairs. They are waiting for you to wake up, Shiki-sama."

"Senpai... and Arcueid?" The dizzy boy became fully awaken after hearing the stimulating news.

"Yes, Shiki-sama. Akiha-sama told me to inform you of the news as soon as you wake up. Please dress up and meet them downstairs." The red-haired maid turned around and grabbed a new change of clothes before putting them on the bed. "Well then, I have more chores to complete. Have a good day, Shiki-sama."

"Wai-" Without waiting, Hisui left the bedroom, leaving a stunned Shiki alone inside the room. "Haah."He gazed at the door and sighed. The young boy rise up from bed and moved to wash up. Tidying himself up, he put on the clothes. A black long sleeve turtle neck and a pair of black pants with the addition of a tan jacket.

At the corridor, Shiki peeked out of the windows and saw four girls sitting on the garden terrace. They were having what he assumed to be pasta. _'Akiha, Arcueid, Ciel-senpai, and Kohaku...-'_ He leaned back when he noticed Arcueid glancing up at the second floor.

The glasses boy moved through the corridor and down the stairs, till he reached the door to the garden. "Akiha?" He knocked on the door, and Kohaku came and opened it for him. "Thanks, Kohaku. Good morning."

"Good morning, Shiki-sama." "Good morning, Nii-san." "Morning, Tohno-kun." "Morning, Shiki!" The four greeted him back and he stepped onto the terrace. He immediately felt uncomfortable as he was being stared at by everyone else.

"Yes?" The young boy blurted out before he was drown out by the scolding words and indignant wails of his companions. Only after a few minutes did they settle down, then Akiha spoke up.

"While you were asleep, I have talked to the Ciel-san and Arcueid-san about the events that has been happening in this city." She gestured for her brother to sit down and continued. "I have understood the situation and we have made a temporary alliance in order to eliminate the... vampire."

"You are going to help? Akiha?" Shiki voiced out in surprise, and received a glare from his sister. He gulped and said, albeit more quietly. "I-I didn't know that you could fight, Akiha..."

"You are underestimating me, Nii-san. As the head of the Tohno family, and the descendant of the Oni Kind, I have enough strength to fight back a mere bloodsucker." Akiha crossed her arms and frowned.

"Roa isn't just a normal vampire, he's a Dead Apostle. Moreover, he's one of the aristocratic elite of the vampires, a Dead Apostle Ancestor." Ciel interjected as she swallowed a mouthful of pasta.

"Tohno... and Oni?" The glasses boy froze and looked at the long-haired girl. "You are not human...?"

"Yes, and no." Akiha sipped her tea and replied. "I am... Ahem. We, the Tohnos, are half-bloods. We possesses the blood of the Oni Kind, and have inherited a part of their strength and unique abilities."

"...I see." Shiki shook his head. He was not going to be surprised at this point, not after experiencing so many horrible and life-threatening situations for the past few days. He simply sighed and accepted a plate of pasta from Kohaku, though not before thanking her.

"So!" Arcueid chimed in. "We have decided, the three of us, to help each other and defeat Roa! Akiha hates him for trying to kill you, Ciel here hates him for making her life a living nightmare, and me, I hate him since he tricked me and stole my power. And..."

"And?" The young boy asked.

"It's useless to hide it at this point... You see, the reason why I am the last True Ancestor is because he tricked me to drink his blood." The blonde vampire frowned slightly and continued. "I... have never once tasted blood at that time, and when I drank his blood, I went berserk and wiped out the other True Ancestors."

"That... that... I'm sorry." Shiki tried to express his sympathy, however, he went silent when he saw Arcueid's lonely face.

"...It's fine." Arcueid shook her head. "It's been a long time since that happened and I am now over it... well, mostly over it."

"Talking about Vampiric Impulses, why don't I see you having any problem with it?" Ciel inched closer and put her hand over her face in an interested gesture. "No offense, but shouldn't your impulses act up by now? How come you are still fine and having a conversation here without any worries?"

"Oh! About that..." Arcueid expression turned a hundred and eighty degrees as she smiled and pulled out a metallic box from her skirt's pocket. It was a tiny silver container. The three letters A, V, and L, were carved on the box's surface. She opened it and showed its interior to the others.

"I got this from a kind and friendly guy on my way to Misaki Town!" The blonde vampire picked up a crimson pill and raised it to eye-level. It looked like a gemstone with how mesmerizing it was. Though it's strange that the transparent pill did not reflect any light despite how shiny it was.

"After taking one of these, I no longer feel any thirst for blood. He mentioned that I had to take these once per week... and they worked miraculously fine!" Finishing the sentence, she plopped the crimson pill into her mouth. "And they taste really good for some reason..." Arcueid closed her eyes and enjoyed the taste while Ciel gaped at her words.

"A-A medicine that can suppress Vampiric Impulses?!" Ciel rise up from her seat and grabbed the smiling girl. "Tell me, True Ancestor! Who gave them to you!" She shook the blonde girl as her eyes shone scarily.

"T-This is mine!" Arcueid shielded the silver box from the blue-haired girl's and tried to distance herself from the crazed nun.

"Come on, True Ancestor, tell me it! I won't hurt you if just tell me!" Seeing the blonde girl's reaction, Ciel pushed further.

"O-Okay! I think he did mention his name..." Arcueid retrieved the box and put it in her pocket. "It was..."

"It was who?"

"Hmm... It's... uh..." Arcueid rubbed her chin in a thinking pose. "I think it was..."

"It was who?!" After a minute of silence, Ciel, who's had enough, screamed out loud. "Do you know what this mean?! This might not be the cure, but it is a temporary solution against the vampires' bloodthirst! I need to- I have **to** know who made them!"

"Ah, I remember now!" Thirty seconds later, the blonde vampire slapped her knees in realization. "It's Yalwic!"

"Who...? ...Argh, nevermind, we can talk about this later..." Ciel flopped down on her seat and went back to eating her pasta. It was pointless to force it out of the True Ancestor since she seemed to not remember it at all. It did sound like a hard name to recall, right?

"Okay... back on the topic." Akiha coughed to get the others' attention. She then turned to her brother. "Nii-san, after hearing from Arcueid-san and Ciel-san, in addition to witnessing it myself last night, I must tell you about the truth behind the you, the Tohno Family, and... the Nanaya clan. We'll need all the help we can get, after all."

"Me... and the Nanaya clan...?" Shiki furrowed his brows as he listened to Akiha's narration of the true story behind his birth, family, and life.

* * *

The sun has set, and the world descended into darkness once again.

Shiki, Ciel, Akiha, and Arcueid arrived at Misaki Municipal High School. Ciel crouched down and inspected the school gate. Finding no traps, she moved on and tried to identify the Bounded Field. However, she frowned when she found nothing wrong with the school and turned around, nodding towards the other three.

Before she could share her suspicions to the others, she facepalmed as Arcueid relaxedly walked pass the school gate and strolled through the school grounds. _'...Stupid True Ancestor with her vampire powers, acting so leisurely when we're about to face a Dead Apostle Ancestor...'_ She sighed.

The three quickly caught up to the blonde vampire and followed her into the school. They searched the building, and when they found nothing, they separated and examined the entire institute. In the end, they found nothing. So when they regrouped and told each other what they have discovered... the results sent chills down their spines.

There was nothing.

No Dead Apostle, no remaining magical energy, no signs of fighting, there was not even a stain mark. It was just... normal... Unusually normal. The magical seals all pointed to Misaki Municipal High School, but they actually found absolutely nothing

 _'How can this be...? There's no way this is not Roa's lair. Don't tell me all those magical seals and the Mana he has collected are dummies... No, even someone like Roa would not throw those away unless he believed that he has enough strength to win against the True Ancestor here.'_ Ciel bit her lips in frustration.

"It's too strange." Akiha voiced out her opinion. "The school looks completely normal, and the clues we found let us determined that this location must be his base. It's also clear that this place cannot be a dummy seeing that the resources available from the magical seals are too valuable to give up. So the question is... Where is Roa? And what happened to him?"

"I..." Shiki was about to spoke up when he noticed something in the corner of his eyes. _'That garden... No. It's wrong._ ' He pointed at the wall, to be more exact, the garden located beneath the school's wall. "Ciel-senpai, that!"

"What is it, Tohno-kun?" The nun glanced at the young boy questioningly before following his finger to where he pointed at. "Oh, it's just the gar- Huh?"

That garden. The flowerbed which was ruined, and the white fence that was wrecked... Didn't she fixed that yesterday morning...? She spent the morning and was almost late to homeroom because she found the chaos annoying to stare at. It was too distracting, so she fixed it... Then why... why was that garden...

 **Looking exactly like how it was before she repaired it?**

"This...!" Ciel ran to the wrecked garden and inspected the flowerbed and the fences. She crouched down and flared up her Magic Circuits. _'Structural Grasp!'_ She chanted the spell and discovered a horrifying thing.

There was nothing... Yes. There was nothing wrong with it.

It was exactly the same. The design... the placements... the compositions... they were identical to when before she repaired it. And the only reason she knew that was because she used the same spell on a whim in order to complete the task faster.

"Don't tell me..." Under the others' concerned and doubtful look, she stood up and scanned the whole high school. The main school building, the auditorium, the sports ground, the basketball court, and the other structures... don't tell me they are... "...restored?"

"What do you mean by restored, Ciel-san?" Akiha spoke up and snapped the inquisitor out of her thoughts.

"By restored, I meant that this school, and with it, the entire area, had their time... " Ciel bit her lips in contemplation. "...completely reversed."

"Time... was reversed?" Shiki stared at his upperclassman in disbelief. "You mean that... the high school, Misaki Municipal High School, was reversed to its state before yesterday morning?"

"...Yes." The blue-haired nun furrowed her brows. "Somehow, someone, most likely not Roa, had restored the school to its previous state. He's probably done it to hide the existence of the supernatural... and since he tried to cover it up-"

"-It meant that someone has used a supernatural ability, and partially destroyed the school?" Arcueid interjected and she received a grudging nod from Ciel.

"Is that... amazing? I mean, it's probably magic or what you called Magecraft. They can do something like this, right?" Shiki asked.

"No, Nii-san. Although I do not have that much knowledge on the topics of the Craft, I do know that it's not supposed to be this... powerful." Akiha frowned and answered her brother's question. "Magecraft is the ability to bring about what is possible through science with supernatural means, and Time Reversal, is definitely not one of them."

"Time Reversal falls under the category of True Magic." Ciel crossed her arms and explained. "We can create devices that launch projectiles at the speed of sound and Magecraft can do the same, but we can't do the same with Time Manipulation, which is what clearly happened here."

"So does that mean that Roa and someone fought here, and they tried to cover it up?" Shiki inquired with a grave expression.

"Yes, someone fought against Roa in this location, and since he has reached the level of True Magic... It's most likely that Roa is..." The blue-haired girl concluded. Though instead of her, the voice behind her answered.

"He's dead."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Working hard here~ The next chapter will be posted in about 30 minutes to an hour~**

 **I don't know if all the True Ancestors are dead, but let's just say that they are all dead in my AU.**

 **Numbering: There will be minimal uses of Japanese words. Mostly these: -san, -chan, -kun, -sensei, -senpai, -niisan, -oniichan, basically the ones that define a character more. Especially something like Illya's onii-chan and Sakura's senpai.**

 **Cole shiryu: Yes~ Gotta give Titus some screentime too, yanno :3**

 **Stratos263: Thanks!**

 **Fate:** **Ciel's body returns to normal when Roa is destroyed, so she will just live and die like everyone else. Though she still retains her Magic Circuits and skills since they are hers in the first place.**

 **Paxloria: Thanks! The six individuals refers to Shiki, Arcueid, Ciel, Titus, Martha, and Anastasia. I only mentioned Arcueid and Shiki, but Ciel has been exterminating the Dead since she came to Misaki. And the other three has been doing the same thing as well. I feel that 'those' fit better than 'that' since I'm talking about blood as in plural. And thanks for pointing out my mistakes, I must have forgot to remove the glutton part during edit. And yes, Akiha and Kohaku were watching over the collapsed Shiki when Ciel fought Roa.**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	42. Creatures of the Night (Part 14)

_Magecraft is a wonderful thing. With sufficient knowledge, It allows one to change to world as one wills. Even though one may say that science can do what Magecraft could, it cannot be argued that Magecraft are performing these acts miraculously._

 _Why would you carry a thirty kilogram device to shoot out flames, when you could summon the same thing with the snap of a finger?_ _Magecraft is also a shortcut for one to reach the realm of superhuman, as you can reinforce your body till it is many times the strength of an average man._

 _There are special assistants used by the Magi, called Familiars._

 _Since it's natural for a Magus to separate himself from society, the use of familiars capable of performing small, simple errands is considered orthodox. Although a different entity, familiars are seen as an extension of the Magus as there is both a mental and physical connection between the two._

 _There are several ways to create a familiar. The most traditional is by placing the leftover thoughts of an already departed soul, of a dead human, into the body of a dead animal._

 _Following that, the Magus needs to repair the animal corpse so that it can move again and by transferring a part of the Magus body, that has a great concentration of Magic Circuits (eyes, hair, blood, etc.), into the body of the dead creature in order to give it a new life._

 _The resulting familiar will gain Magic Circuits that the original never had before and will be able to use Magecraft just like the Magus. However, magical energy cannot be produced independently and must be supplied by the Magus through their spiritual connection. Thus, a familiar requires a master to maintain both its powers and life._

 _This type of familiar will form its own personality and will be capable of reasoning and acquiring experience apart from the Magus while sharing the same knowledge. Mages need something that has about the same level of rationale and reasoning, but can think independently._

 _That way they can act as a teacher, and have the familiar be a teacher to them, too. It is better to discover new things that way, and it also makes it easier for them to realize their own mistakes. There is also a chance of the arising of abnormal powers._

 _However, the presence of a personality also makes this type of familiar more independent from the Magus and many Magi really do not like that method. But some Mages make insurance by passing everything on to their familiars._

 _To explain it simply, it is a spare self that is a little behind on abilities. Important to note that this is by no means a form of resurrection, as the familiar is still a being completely different from the one whose soul it received._

 _The remains of Nrvnqsr Chaos is also the same. If the beasts are killed, but not returned to him, the chaos can be used to reinforce and strengthen the body of another person while they can also repair and close wounds. They no longer belong to the Dead Apostle as long as he doesn't take them back in, so they can just be called scraps of flesh._

 _The leftover of a thousand-year class Dead Apostle. The exceedingly high amount of Mystery within the chaos. Through Magecraft, it was possible to manipulate them to make use of their forms once again like normal familiars._

 _Using the chaos, I have managed to create a new familiar that can be used as a defense for our castle. Manipulating the essence which contained Phantasmal Beasts, and Chaos himself, I have morphed it into Darkness._

 _A creature similar to the one I have assisted and created in my free time with Geryon Ashborn. It is superior in all way, and possesses the Magic Resistance which came with the thousand year old Mystery._

 _This familiar could stand against powerful foes. Though it has lost the majority of its power when its connection with the tenth Dead Apostle Ancestor was cut off, it could still face an average Servant and hold it off before it was inevitably pushed back._

 _Existences which could square off with a Heroic Spirit are incredibly rare, and ones which could triumph are even rarer. This Darkness might not be victorious, but it can surely survive when it encounters a Servant._

 _Being a formless and ever-changing creature, it can be hit multiple times without taking a single bit of damage. It is a nightmare to all melee fighters. Additionally, it_ _will not be taken out u_ _nless someething which could annihilate its entire body was used: an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm or the highest-tier Magecraft._

 _However, this thing, was not meant for battling Servants._ _This thing, was meant for assassination... T_ _he assassination of Masters._ _For in five years, the Fifth Holy Grail War will begin, and with it, its madness._

 _And at that time, I wonder, who many will make it out alive?_

* * *

"Greetings, ladies, gent." Turning around, they saw a blonde man walking up to them. The neatly dressed man nodded at them and looked them over. Though no one noticed how his eyes stopped on the last True Ancestor for a bit longer.

"You are..." Akiha narrowed her eyes at the foreigner. Being at this place and time, clearly shown that he was not an ordinary person. He must be someone who was related to the Moonlit World.

"Oh!" All of a sudden, Arcueid cried out in surprise. "Aren't you the one who gave me those shiny pills? Yalwic, uh, Yaril, um..."

"It's Alric, Your Highness Brunestud." The blonde man gave them a noble salute and introduced himself. "Alric von Leiqritus, at your service."

"Oh yeah, it's Alric!" The last True Ancestor clapped her hands in realization while her mouth was in the shape of an 'o'.

"Alric... huh?!" Ciel widened her eyes when she remembered his identity. "König von Lila? Alric von Leiqritus?"

"King of Purple...?" Akiha furrowed her brows.

"Ah, yes, that's me. Though I'd prefer it if you don't use such an embarrassing title. It was given to me by the other Mages, and they have started calling me that on their own accord." Alric smiled wryly.

"Why is someone like you in Misaki Town?" Ciel stared at the blonde man. "Is it the Mage's Association...? You should know that the Holy Church has business in this town-."

"That's enough, Miss Seventh." Alric raised his hand to pause the Church's inquisitor, and she went quiet when her Burial Agency's number was mentioned. "I am here on behalf of the Association."

"Then you..." Ciel frowned.

"Yes, I was the one who killed Michael Roa Valdamjong, the numberless Dead Apostle Ancestor. You see, the discredited Serpent has offended many people during his stay at the Clock Tower centuries ago... and what do they say? Ah yes, hatred runs deeper than blood" Alric continued while smiling.

"Anyway, I am on the designation to hunt down the Serpent and my objective has been completed." He pulled out a pocket watch and tapped on it. "I am a busy man, so I'd like to take my leave soon. The body of a Dead Apostle Ancestor has many secrets on it and I'd like to research it as soon as possible."

"Wait." Ciel frowned and glared at Alric. "You have to hand over Roa's body. We of the Holy Church are tasked with hunting down and sealing vampires like him. I can't allow you to just take the body of an Ancestor."

"Hahaha." The blonde man laughed. "Do you think I would present you a specimen's body? Not to mention how valuable this one is, there is no way I would hand it over."

"You..." The inquisitor gritted her teeth.

"What? Miss Seventh? Are you going to fight me? I will not lose against you when you could not even defeat Roa." Seeing Ciel widened her eyes, he continued, "Yes, I was observing the events that occurred last night. It was most interesting, a battle between a false immortal and a highest-ranking vampire. Thanks to that, I have gained many interesting ideas and applications for my Magecraft."

"So don't be naive, Miss Seventh." Alric's smile was gone and his face froze over. "I have shown you respect as a fellow Magus. However, you tried to rob me of my prey? Who do you think you are? There is a limit to what you can do and the Church's authorities won't help you in this case."

"Your mission was the elimination of Michael Roa Valdamjong, the numberless Dead Apostle Ancestor. And it is now completed. What do you think, Your Highness Brunestud?" The blonde Magus turned to Arcueid.

"Eh? Me?" She pointed at herself, and he nodded. "Uh, well, Roa is dead so... I don't really care. And stop calling me Your Highness, it's irritating. Just Arcueid will do!" It was clear which side she would take since she was not close to Ciel in the first place. They were merely in an alliance, which was now nulled with Roa's dead, and he was kind enough to provide her with medications that could suppress her Vampiric Impulses.

"Haah." Ciel breathed deeply and calmed down. There was no point at arguing with him, and using force... might work. If she could tire him out, she could win. But what if he just simply run away? Won't that be pointless? And won't she enraged the Mage's Association if she were to attack him?

Roa was dead. That was clear. And he would reincarnate to the next body in a few decades, so she could only wait and prepare for the next time. With Shiki's Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, they have a high chance of completely wiping him from existence.

Yes, there was no point fighting against him. She was immortal and could wait a few decades. She merely needed to persuade her underclassman and her dream would be achieved. However, she still felt bitter. And in the first place, how did he- _'Hmm...? That's right, what about the Time Reversal...'_

"All right. I give up, Lord Alric." Ciel sighed and addressed the blonde man politely. "But may I ask... how did you defeat Roa? It seemed to me that you used a... particularly special Magecraft to cover up the entire incident."

"Oh, that." Alric smiled seeing that the Church's inquisitor has given up. "You must have thought that it was something like Time Manipulation, haven't you?" Gaining her confirmation, he continued with an amused expression. "It's actually not something as magnificent as Time Manipulation, but a simple application of Alchemy."

"Alchemy...?" Ciel uttered as the other three paid more attention. It's not everyday that you could hear anything about the mystical Arts.

"Yes. I did not reverse time, but I recreated the entire school with perfection. Spells with the natures of analysis and Psychometry were used until I completely grasped the location's previous state and the remaining were left to the art of Transmutation." Alric explained.

"Recreate to perfection...?" Even though It might've sounded easy to novices, what the man just said was something only the greatest geniuses could have done. To recreate an entire structure to perfection that even someone like Ciel could not replicate... was insane.

"Yes." The blonde Magus nodded and tapped his pocket watch once again. "Well, then, I'll take my leave now." He turned to Arcueid and bowed. "Arcueid, may we meet once again. I hope to be able to have a serious conversation with someone as exalted as yourself at that time." He pulled out a silver box and passed it to her.

"A present." Alric smiled and gave them a noble salute before disappearing with a distortion of shadows. Arcueid glanced at the metallic container in her hand happily as Ciel stared at the spot where the Mage stood frustratingly.

 _'A.V.L., Alric von Leiqritus.'_

"So... Who is he?" Akiha voiced out since she couldn't process what had just happened.

"That's Alric von Leiqritus." Ciel answered. "He's a member of the Mage's Association, and a high-ranking member of the Clock Tower. You should at least know of its existence, right?"

"Yes." The long-haired girl nodded, though frowned when Shiki shook his head.

"Okay then, I will explain it in a way that Tohno-kun can understand." Ciel sighed. "The Mage's Association is an international, self-preservative and self-defense organization formed by practitioners of Magecraft for the purpose of controlling, concealing, and developing Magecraft."

"And the Clock Tower is the official headquarters of the Mage's Association. Pretty much all the Mages in the world desired to attend and study at the Clock Tower. Though your freedom will be restricted when you become a member of the Mage's Association, the advantages simply outweighs the disadvantages."

"You can get budgets for researches, create connections with century and millennium-old Magi families, attain information on knowledge that you have never seen or touch before. And those are just a small part of it."

"Alric is an incredibly valued member of the Clock Tower since he is a Grand Rank Mage, the highest ranking title one could receive as a Magus of the Mage's Association. He is from a Noble Family and has enough connections to destroy minor Magi families."

"That's why I didn't want to get into a fight with him earlier. It's simply not worth it to duke it out with someone like him. I couldn't have become a Church's Executor and survive till this day if I was not patient... Well, excluding the immortality that is."

"Although I might be immortal, I can be captured and sealed. Many Dead Apostle Ancestor has fallen that way. Not killed, but simply sealed off to god knows where. Thinking about it, didn't the twenty-seventh Dead Apostle Ancestor trapped himself in his own labyrinth?"

"I-I see." Shiki nodded, taking in the information like a sponge. He did not know of the existences of the supernatural until recently, and all this magical stuff made his excited... Though if he were to be given a choice, he would choose to stay normal and live a peaceful life any day, anytime.

"So he's not an enemy? With all the Holy Church and Mage's Association business... I could almost see you two try to kill each other." Akiha chimed in.

"Yes, he's not an enemy..." Ciel replied. "Though he's not an ally either. He's neutral."

"All right, that's all I need to know." The Tohno head sighed in relief. She then turned to the blonde vampire. "What about you, Arcueid-san? Seeing that box in your hand, Alric must have been the one who made the medicines. Are going to go meet him after this?"

Arcueid looked around and saw that all focus were on her. "No... I'm returning to my castle." She shook her head. "Perhaps I will go meet him later, but now is not the time. I have to recover the energy I consumed to recreate my body after Shiki cut me into seventeen pieces."

"Ahaha." Shiki scratched his head as he broke out in a cold sweat. _'Does she still have a grudge against me...?'_

"Then, I will take my leave here. Let's go, Nii-san." Akiha bowed and pulled on her brother's shirt.

"W-Wait, Akiha! I need to-" The young boy cried out and glanced at Arcueid. However, he was quickly dragged away by Akiha.

"It's a goodbye then, Tohno-kun, Akiha-san." Ciel gave her iconic fake smile and leaped away. It was time for her to go visit her superior as well. _'And here I still have to report to the Church of the events that occurred in this town. Ugh, I really don't want to meet that rotten woman again...'_

"Goodbye, Shiki..." When everyone has left. Arcueid's cheerful face was dropped and all that remained was a lonely smile. "I had lots of fun for the past few days... And I hope that one day, I can meet you again..."

 _'Though in the end, we are people of two different worlds, and you should not get involved with this side anymore...'_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Mmm, this strawberry is so sweet~**

 **And yes, it's a bitter farewell. This isn't canon. Akiha will keep living with Shiki. Ciel and Arcueid weren't as close to Shiki as they are in canon. For Arcueid, they are more like very good friends since she has never had a friend before, and for Ciel, they are even further, she only thinks him as a nice guy. But Akiha, of course, still has a crush on Shiki. I have left the two maids out since I'm not as familiar with them as the other three... forgive me D:**

 **Titus might seemed to be an asshole in this chapter, but remember, he is disguised as an elite Mage who came from a distinguished family line. He has to act like one. He proved himself that he could beat a Dead Apostle Ancestor, meaning that he could be more powerful than Ciel (without the** **Seventh Holy Scripture)** **and Akiha. Leaving only Arcueid above him since Shiki isn't even that strong. He just has the most burst power potential. So he used Arcueid to pressure Ciel, and Shiki didn't say anything because he was confused with the sudden situation, plus Roa was dead. Though it was a bit of hasty of me for writing their goodbyes this quickly, but yeah, I'm bad with goodbyes :P**

 **Uhh, is anyone German here? Can you confirm that** **König von Lila means King of Purple? I used Google Translate since I don't know German~**

 **Have anyone seen** **Emiya-san Chi no Kyou no Gohan (Today's Menu for the Emiya Family)? The scene where Kojirou asked Medea for sandwiches was so cute~ ^o^**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	43. Epilogue III

**Diary Entry: October 30th, 1999.**

Dear Diary,

It has been three days since we separated with others at Misaki Municipal High School. Nii-san has been in a foul temper... His gazes were condemning. It was as if he was telling me that I have genuinely done something that really, really offended him.

I did not make a mistake. If I were to be given a similar choice, I would have done the same thing again.

I will not allow Nii-san to get involved with those women. Despite having a kind and friendly facade, they are certainly snakes that are ready to pounce on Nii-san when he has his guard down.

Ciel-san is a member of the Holy Church's black ops. An inquisitor, an Executor, someone who goes out and kill people. I still remember our first encounter... her fake yet flawless smile had sent chills down my spine... Nii-san definitely can't be allowed to be with a woman like her...!

And Arcueid-san... She seemed to be a genuinely nice person. However, her perception of reality is different from us normal beings. A True Ancestor, one who rules the vampiric race, and also the last of her kind, troubles come to her on a daily basis and Nii-san will not have a good life when he's near her.

That's why I need to keep him away from those two.

Is it wrong to want to protect my elder brother? As the head of the Tohno household and more importantly, his sister, I could not let anything harm Nii-san... not when he has saved my life and made my life this colorful.

I reminisce the happy childhood we had for almost every single day. Those times were the best... We were ignorant, and ignorant is bliss. We spent days and days chasing after butterflies, getting involved in childish games, and fought against each other to determine a winner.

I don't have much free time nowadays... As the head of the Tohno clan, I have the duty, the mission, to oversee and manage the important affairs. If any business were to fail, I'd let down our ancestor who worked they hardest in order to built our family to this day.

But. I want to spend more time with Nii-san...

And to achieve that, I'll have to work extra time. I can't let me health deteriorate now... Not when my lifeforce is being shared with Nii-san. Thankfully, I can still control and keep a balance between my human's blood and demon's blood with the help of Kohaku.

She is a Synchronizer, which allows her to transfer energy through the exchange of bodily fluids. I have been sucking her blood, and without her, I might have fallen and gave into my Inversion Impulse.

I don't really want to become... a monster... a Crimson Red Vermillion. Nothing is free, and in exchange for the strength granted by the maximized blood is my humanity.

I do hope that Nii-san will forget those two women and live his daily lives peacefully. And to do that, I have to enforce it myself. I will soon transfer to Misaki Municipal High School and watch over him, so that no other women...

...would get in my way.

* * *

 **To: XXXXXX XXXXXX**

 **From:** **Adashino Hishiri**

 **Subject: #34 Report on Alric von Leiqritus**

 **Date: November 7th, 1999**

There was an uproar in the Clock Tower after the news of Alric von Leiqritus successfully killed a Dead Apostle Ancestor was leaked.

At first, the Mages thought that the stories were just biased rumors spread by the ones who wanted to curry favor with the distinguished Lord. Well, it was not until the man himself came out and admit it.

The revelation shocked many Magi as Alric took out the remains of the Dead Apostle and offered it to the Vice Director herself. The Queen of the Clock Tower, Barthomeloi Lorelei, had confirmed the speculation and then promptly annihilated the remains to nothingness.

The higher-ups of the Mage's Association have awarded him the color of Yellow recently when he has officially graduated, and the Department of Spiritual Evocation has offered the man the position of a first-class instructor, but it is believed that Alric would turn it down.

The Department of Mineralogy and the Department of Creation have both shown their interests in hiring the Grand Rank Mage, though he seemed to lean towards the Department of Modern Magecraft Theories where his fiancé, Reines El-Melloi Archisorte, studied at.

Currently, Alric von Leiqritus is staying within the city of London and giving temporary classes on the topics of Alchemy at the Department of Modern Magecraft Theories. It is highly likely that he will leave in a couple of months seeing that the man never stayed in the Clock Tower for a long time.

To confirm the truth of the incidents. A mission with bountiful rewards was posted and a team of Enforcers and Mages are on their way to Misaki Town, Japan. The results of the examination will be reported within three days to a week.

Nevertheless, since Lady Barthomeloi, who has fought against and destroyed two of the Dead Apostle Ancestors herself has confirmed it, it is highly like that Alric has not lied. I'd suggest to lower the payment and member count the next time we send out a team of Enforcers.

In addition, we have received reports of the man having contacted multiple Magi families from Romania for the past year. He seemed to have formed a deal with second-class instructor of Elemental Conversion, Darnic Prestone.

Darnic Prestone, also known as the Eight-Forked Tongue, is a Brand Rank Mage and an elder of the Prestone family. He has received his rank not by pure abilities, but through political maneuvers and family connection. His students have displayed unfavorable opinions towards the man, implying his inaptitude at teaching.

We do not know the exact contents of their exchange, nonetheless, we have an idea what was going on between those two. Darnic had passed over the ownership to the city of Trifas to Alric, and the students have noted how joyful Darnic was a while later, so we can deduce that the second-class instructor has received a massive batch of potions from the Alchemist.

Seeing that the creations of the Grand Rank Mage have effects that could improve the quality of Magic Circuits, it is possible that they can do the same thing with the Prestone family's polluted and impure blood.

I have sent a team of Mages under the instructions of Lady Barthomeloi to observe the Prestone elder, and will most likely confirm the contents of their deals through surveillance in a month's time.

On another note, the Fortress of Millennia upon the small hill of Trifas has been secretly deconstructed, and in its place was a newly-raised castle. The appearance haven't changed much **,** but the amount of Mana we have detected was many times higher than the previous one.

The homunculi that patrolled the fortress have also been replaced by what seemed to be superior ones. Their white hair and red pupils likened to rubies reminded the surveillance team of the homunculi created by the Einzbern family from Germany.

There is a chance that Alric is in a close relationship with the Einzberns since they do not sell their high-quality homunculi in large batches. And none can match the Germans in the process of creating artificial humans because they are created through special cultivation tanks.

As fellow Alchemist, the Einzberns must have reached out to the man and offered to exchange their knowledge with each other. If Alric was not betrothed to the El-Mellois, the Einzbern could have been the one to offer up one of their members for engagement.

In conclusion, I believe that we should form a better relationship with Alric von Leiqritus. Policies will not lose anything, and are likely to attain benefits from the talented Alchemist.

* * *

 **Two Months Later**

"-I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand up on the earth."

The year 2000 have arrived, and the country of Japan has turned into a land of frost. The unstoppable snow painted the entire Fuyuki City in the brilliant color of white. However, no one present were smiling at the mesmerizing snow.

It was a funeral.

The funeral was for Tohsaka Aoi, the woman who was Rin's mother, and the young girl's only intimate family member in this world. She has died from failed health, mostly due to not able to restrain her grief for her husband. She must have really loved Tohsaka Tokiomi.

The ceremony was managed by Rin, and the prayers were read by the same man who attended her father's funeral six years ago.

"Mother..." The thirteen-year-old girls cried. Unlike the previous funeral where no sorrow or anxiety were shown, Rin and Sakura cried their eyes out. There were no elders attending the funeral as Tohsaka Aoi was not an important individual, so for this once... the two young girls received the chance to truly express their sorrow.

There were only five people present for the funeral. The two young girls who were related to Aoi, Rin and Sakura. Their mentor, Alric. Lastly, the Fuyuki Church's owner, Caren Hortensia, and her caretaker, Reika.

"And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God, I myself will see Him with my own eyes, not another's. How my heart yearns within me… Amen." Alric closed the Bible and glanced at the crying girls. He did not show any sympathy or support, on the contrary, he opened his mouth and uttered out the cold truth.

"Do you see this, Rin, Sakura? This is death, one which you are familiar with. Being a Magus means to walk with death. You two might only be thirteen this year, but Mages do not care about age." The blonde man looked at the young girls and pull them away from the wooden coffin where their mother was in.

"Your prestige and abilities are what really matter in this world. Focus on your education, and Thaumaturgy will bring you to new heights." Alric voiced out cold-heartedly. "This is the price of life. One day, you will also die, and in order to prove that you have existed, you will pass down your legacy, your Magic Crest, to the next generations."

"In a few years, after you have graduated from high school, I will recommend both of you into the Mage's Association. The Clock Tower is a place where you need to attend. You will improve your Craft and make connections so that your family will be able to prosper." He moved his fingers and wipe the tears from Rin and Sakura's eyes.

"Now bid farewell to your mother. After this, we will increase the your learning load and delve into more advanced Magecraft." Alric breathed deeply and stepped away. He watched the young girls said their goodbyes to their parent. The sky, the snow, the land of purity seemed to turn to the shade of black at that exact moment.

 _'The cycle of life is also the cycle of death. As heart-wrenching as this is, you two will have to get used to death... for you have chosen the path of Mages._ _It is already too late... You, who came into this world with the talent of magic, have turned your back against the world the moment you were born.'_

As the weeping girls settled down, he nodded at the undertaker to bury the dead. Tohsaka Aoi was going to be buried beside her husband, Tohsaka Tokiomi, within the Foreign Cemetery. "Please go ahead." He then told Reika to take Caren back to their home, as they are no longer required here.

Rikudou Reika might have felt sad for the deceased woman, but Caren has shown zero interest towards her. She did not shed a single tear despite knowing the kindhearted woman for six years. She was truly similar to her late father in some way or another.

Alric beckoned for Rin and Sakura to follow him. They left the Foreign Cemetery and got into a black luxurious car. Sitting on the driver's seat was a white-haired male. "To the Matou Residence." The homunculus nodded at Alric's command and started the engine.

"Prepare yourself, Rin. After dropping off Sakura, I will start mentoring you on your family's Jewel Magecraft." The blonde man spoke up. "And you'll learn your first official offensive spell. A curse with Scandinavian origins... Gandr."

* * *

 **Reien Girl's Academy**

Yumizuka Satsuki clenched her fists and gulped down a tiny red pellet.

"Haah." Feeling the medicine taking effect, she sighed in relief and gazed into mirror. The current her looked nothing like her previous self, a second-year student of Misaki Municipal High School. Her crimson red eyes stared right back at her while her long brown hair reached down to her back.

She was no longer human. She was a vampire, a monster that preys on the blood and flesh of men. Her happy and carefree day as a high school teenager was now far away from her reach.

Really... just how pathetic can she be...

Both her father and mother are dead. Her parents, her family, they were all dead. Every member of the Yumizuka family were murdered by that Dead Apostle at Hotel Century. She was the only survivor, the last of her line. So how could she keep living like this...?

 _'Will father and mother blame me if I take my own life... Yes, they will definitely never forgive me of I were to choose suicide as an escape.'_ The young girl wistfully smiled. She yearned to reunite with her family again... However, that was am impossible dream because they are already dead. The death couldn't be brought back to life. That was the logic of the world.

 _'At the very least... If I were to be cured of vampirism, I will be able to meet Shiki-kun again.'_ Satsuki bit her lips. To be human again. That was her wish. And in exchange for granting her wish, her mentor, the man named Alric, asked for her to participate in a certain event in the future.

To increase her chance at victory, he has brought her to this institute and enrolled her as a student. He has used his connections to get her in and joined his other apprentice, Asagami Fujino. He even arranged for them to stay in the same room as roommates.

The headmaster of Reien Girl's Academy was apparently a priestess of the Holy Church. She's a member of the knight's heresy persecution group and an official Shield Knight vampire hunter from the Church. The previous headmaster, Riesbyfe Stridberg, was killed in action on a Dead Apostle hunt and was replaced by her three years ago.

With the priestess watching over her, Alric was sure that she would settle down and give into her fate sooner or later. And that was true. Satsuki has given up after she enrolled. She now lived her life by learning Magecraft from the Alchemist on a monthly basis.

It was not all horrible. She has became acquainted with Fujino and her two friends, Kokutou Azaka and Seo Shizune. They are kind and friendly people who were also involved with the supernatural side. So at the very least, she has friends.

He taught them both Magecraft. Both her and Fujino have extraordinary magical talent, and they were absorbing the knowledge like sponges. The purpose of getting them to know each other was because they would be allies in the future, since both of them would partake in the same tournament... A tournament of death.

 _'The Fifth Holy Grail War.'_

She just have to focus on her magical studies, and prepare for the upcoming challenge... Yes. To cure her vampirism. To become human again. She would win...! She would be victorious, and no one would be able to stop her! She would defeat all her opponents, and seize the Cup of Heaven! For she, will be the champion of the Heaven's Feel ritual.

 _'...Just wait for me, Shiki-kun. I will survive and meet you again...!'_

* * *

 **The Holy Church**

"I am glad that it is you, and not that rotten woman."

Two silhouettes were having a conversation within a dim room that was illuminated by only a single candle. Objects decorated with the Christian cross scattered throughout the room, and the vintage furniture seemed to be from hundreds of years ago.

However, the pair ignored and didn't pay the slightest bit of respect to the symbol of their religion. No, they did not believe in God in the first place. They were merely workers who were hired by the Church. They were definitely not priests as the holy men would not be murderers who leak of blood like them.

"I am acting as her messenger today, so hold your tongue on the foul words. Both you and me don't want her to hear it, right? It's not like I can't hide it from her, but it's such a bother to do so." On the left side was a young child dressed in a white robe with golden trims. He has black hair and black eyes. His name is Merem Solomon, the fifth member of the Burial Agency.

"Why are you here in your true form? Shouldn't the King of Rats be the one to come?" Ciel crossed her arms. Merem wasn't someone who would show his true self, even to the other Burial Agency members. So far, only she and their leader knew of his identity.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. I am here because I'm interested to what happened to Roa. Sadly, I can't examine the site with so many Magi lurking around the school." The young child gave out a fake sigh. Despite his words, he seemed awfully carefree of the situation. "Perhaps one of them will be suspected as a pedophile? Hah."

"Anyway, just give me the record of what actually happened back in the high school and you're free, Ciel." Merem extended his hand and the young girl took out a brown envelope. He received the her report and smiled. "Thanks. You don't have a new mission for now. You can go and do what you want."

"Huh? I'm free?" Ciel raised her brows.

"Yes, yes. I'll pass this report to Narbareck myself." The young child laughed and turned around to move away. Before exiting the room, he glanced at the lone girl and spoke out. "Don't be relaxed, Elesia. You'll have to keep working for the Church if you want to see Roa dead, so work hard~"

...However, the frowning Ciel was not able to see. To see the expression of the fifth member of the Agency when he left the room. His carefree facade was gone. And in its place, was a solemn and gloomy one. _'Rose Prophecy... She would not lie. So the Serpent is really dead? To kill someone like him... you'll have to destroy his soul itself.'_

 _'And even a direct hit from a powerful Conceptual Weapon would not be able to easily kill him.'_ Merem gazed at the bright sky and narrowed his eyes. _'Just two crazy women were not enough, and now we have Alric von Leiqritus, another one who is capable of killing a Dead Apostle Ancestor...'_

 _'I'll have to watch out for the Princess. The Mage seemed to be interested in her, and I won't let anyone harm her...!'_ The daylight flickered for an instance, and the shadows of four legendary demonic beings appeared behind him before slowly disappearing.

Merem Solomon. He is known as the Daemon Summoner or Crown. Nevertheless, the title that he was the most well known for is one who haunts the powerful Mages and causes priests to curse out his name. He is-

Merem Solomon, the twentieth of The Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors. The one who commands Four Great Daemon Beasts, beings that are classified as Divine Beast-class. They are imagined and brought into reality through his abilities, and are each as powerful as one of the twenty seven Ancestors.

Daemon of the Left Arm, the King of Rats.

Daemon of the Right Arm, Lady Windup.

Daemon of the Left Leg, the King of Sky.

Daemon of the Right Leg, the King of Earth.

 _'No matter what happens, I will protect the Princess.'_ Merem clenched his fists and took a heavy step towards that close, yet distant dream. _'This time... This time... I will not let her down...!'_

* * *

 _A long, long time ago._

 _It was meant to be forgotten in the future, so it has already been forgotten in the past._

 _"For a life like yours, to open both your eyes and catch a single glimpse of light would already be ample satisfaction." Within that beautiful flower field, the man clothed in black said with a gentle smile. His black eyes stared right into mine, they were ones of infinite tenderness._

 _It was at that moment that I knew... T_ _hose eyes... they were too kind for me._

 _-I am no longer capable of opening my eyes._

 _In this castle closest to the moon,_ _I am trapped by these unbreakable chains in eternal slumber._

 _In these unmoving cradle, suspended by time-_

 _I continue to dream about many, many things by myself._

 _Things that I remember, that I've forgotten, that I hoped for, or that I've never thought. Everything resurfaces and sinks down, perishing like bubbles._

 _In this dream, I accept it all without struggle._

 _-My wishes and my regrets._

 _...What if, back then. Say that I want to see the world, how would things be now?_

 _What if, I could cry out for his help?_

 _Would I have been able to stay at that place..._

 _-What if..._

 _What if back then, I was to take hold of his hand-_

 _-Tell him that I truly wish to see the faraway lands._

 _Would he have taken me to beyond the boundaries of horizon...?_

 _...But that's still good enough._

 _It's because I've already been saved by him._

 _It's because I've already obtained unforgettable, priceless things from him._

 _Or maybe it's because I can think back to everything about him-_

 _-What?_

 _...I ...I can't remember._

 _W-What's going on? What, am I... Who is he?_ _Who... just who is..._

 ** _He?_**

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **The longest chapter I have ever written so far~** **Tsukihime arc is now o** **ver, and I can finally take a break~**

 **What? I ship Akiha and Shiki, ok? :D**

 **The next arc will cover the five remaining years before the Fifth Holy Grail War. We will finally start exploring the world of Nasuverse! You'll be seeing more characters, and there will be more appearances of his apprentices~!**

 **f** **g7dragon: Ciel is no longer immortal, and yes, she's assuming that she was still immortal. Ciel will probably appear in a future chapter.**

 **Stratos263: All thanks to the powah of magick~!**

 **Paxloria: Thanks!** **He didn't use his Mystic Eyes against Titus since it was not required at first. He did use his Mystic Eyes against Arcueid since she can shrug off his Magecraft like nothing and he wanted to prove himself superior against Shiki.**

 **The Magic I was talking about was his Reality Marble, something that is infinitely close to True Magic, and his knowledge of Magecraft from the Age of Gods. It's not strange when he was the the one who taught Chaos Soil of Genesis.**

 **Roa's Reality Marble was never described in the series so I took the idea from the game. It is an Innate Bounded Field, so I made it like that instead of one which world shift. Not all Reality Marbles does that, and the purple background is just added dramatic effects (from Melty Blood).**

 **I do no understand much of what you're saying in the last part, but I'll explain what Titus did: First, he took the attack head on because of his overpowered Magic Resistance. When the building collapsed, he hid in the school's wreckage with Presence Concealment, then he struck the moment Roa got close.**

 **It was a simple ambush, Roa is just thinking too much, but you can't blame him when you see an ordinary human surviving a barrage of spells boosted by the Reality Marble of a Dead Apostle Ancestor.** **Lastly,** **Elesia was born in 1976, and the it's six (Arcueid, Shiki, Ciel, Titus, Anastasia, and Martha), though only Shiki and Arcueid were mentioned.**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	44. Death's Beckoning (Part 1)

_"-I beg you, God..."_

 _"_ _A life like this..._ _"_

 _"_ _Please, even for just once..._ _"_

 _"_ _Let me have a contentful dream... Let me see that faraway wish I always dreamed for..._ _"_

A long, long time ago, the world we knew of was covered in a blanket of darkness.

It was an awful joke, a truly bad dream.

The gentle sun we once knew suddenly disappeared, and creatures of horrors descended down on the unsuspecting residents.

We were massacred, and our prospering lands were steadily stolen by the incarnations of evil.

All retaliation turned into futile struggles, and mountains of bodies were formed from the endless slaughters.

It was a world of eternal night. We had to struggle to reach for even the tiniest lights.

I had prayed, prayed for a divine intervention. _Someone, anyone...! Please take us away from this place..._

But what did we see in the end?

It was a world of no hopes.

We needed salvation. Humanity, could not, would not, and must not. Fall.

Was it wrong that I chased after that hope?

I merely wanted to make everyone happy. I merely wanted to let them remember warmth of the sun once more.

I persevered, and finally-

-I died.

...I wonder, Was I wrong in the first place?

It was then that I met a miracle. A blessing that gave me a second chance.

I took it. I could not fall yet. I have to achieve my dream...!

But.

I should have known. That there is a price for everything.

In exchange for my peaceful rest in the afterlife, I was forced to roam the earth as the undead.

Far from human, far from even the monsters that I fought against.

Hollowed with no return, degraded to be forever unliving.

-No, I do not mind. I do not mind even if I have to bear the pain of death.

Moving forward with resolve, I fought against the darkness with everything I have, and finally-

-I reached the end.

A coiled sword, pierced into the ground like a holy throne.

The moment I laid my hand on that coiled sword, I knew I had to suffer for an eternity.

It was a worthy price to pay. Think about, only one had to sacrifice himself, and everyone else would be free-

 **-Even now, I can still feel the regrets from pulling out that sword.**

* * *

 **Nameless Island, the Philippines**

"No! Stop-"

The sounds of screams and wails came out from a tiny settlement.

Black fumes rise up to the darkened sky as flames encompassed and burned down the habitats. A half-destroyed wooden hut collapsed into splinters and directly killed a groaning man. He was not fast enough. The fallen man stared in terror as bright red flames came down onto him.

At the same time, the villagers from all over the small island watched on in horror while their family members, friends, neighbors, and fellow villagers were turned into man-eating monsters one after another.

The infected residents glared at their old acquaintances with malicious intents. They pounced on any human they could find and bit into their flesh. They sucked out every drop of blood from their target and stood up to find more to devour once they are done.

This was hell.

And in the midst of this was a lone man. He scratched his messy brown hair and smiled in ecstasy at the hell on earth. His piercing red eyes shined with bliss, and his twisted smile formed into a maniacal laughter.

He was a Dead Apostle.

A foul and nightmare-inducing species which preyed on humans.

The existence of the vampire race is unknown to the general mass and only a few selected human knew about them. Unless one was a Mage or a member of the Holy Church, they would never find out the bloodsuckers' existence.

The laughing Dead Apostle was originally a highly-praised Magus from the Mage's Association. However, knowing that his lifespan was nearing its end, the man sought out every known methods to extend his life and ultimately end up going insane after changing his species from human to vampire.

As a former influential Mage, he used his wealth to hide his disturbing experiments and successfully discovered the way to becoming a Dead Apostle without alerting the higher-ups of the Clock Tower.

They would not have cared if he was torturing children or if he was trying to realize the truth behind the euphoria of men, but becoming a bloodsucker was out of the question. The Mage's Association absolutely loathed vampires and would not hesitate to send out Enforcers to annihilate them.

The Vice Director of the Mage's Association especially prefer to hunt down the Dead Apostles herself. While the Barthomelois have a completely irrational hatred towards vampires, Lorelei's own hatred is on another entirely different level than that of any past member of her family, and even she cannot understand why it is so strong.

The man, Mephis de Raith, was someone who was fortunate enough to avoid the Vice Director's detection and escape the Clock Tower after turning into a Dead Apostle. Bribing the officials and hypnotizing the more upright ones, he managed to find a channel into the Far East and has been haunting the lands since then.

The current sight was merely one of his many feedings. This island was isolated from the mainland and its technology was extremely outdated. In fact, there were only a few electronic devices, and they were owned by the more wealthy villagers. And said villagers were just simple fishermen who got lucky with their harvests.

In this island far from civilization, scenes of carnage continued itself. And it would repeat in many other locations if not for what was about to happen.

The disturbing laughter of Mephis came to an end when two earth spikes emerged from the ground and nearly pierced both his head and heart. "Ugh?!" The vampire quickly jumped away and escape from his doom through impalement.

Before he could even lift his head and search for the assailants, bursts of light rained down on him. Mephis gritted his teeth and hid behind a villager's home. Sadly, the fragile building was not able to shield him. The entire hut was obliterated with the attack and the vampire's right arm was directly incinerated.

"ARGH!" The bloodsucker cried out in pain. However, he quickly shut up and calmed himself down seeing that more attacks were heading to his way. He was still a Magus, who has always walked with death and would not falter with merely a loss of limb.

The fallen leaves on the ground floated up. They were instantly reinforced and altered to become sharper. The blades of death rushed at the vampire while he raised his hand up to the sky.

"Combust!" Mephis flared up his Magic Circuits and yelled out his spell. The leaf blades were instantly reduced to ashes. "Erupt!" Another spell was used and the wooden huts surrounding him were consumed by fire.

Mephis de Raith, he was a first-class instructor of the Clock Tower. Although he currently looked like a young man in his twenties, he was a seventy-six-year-old man who specialized in Flame Magecraft.

He has over sixty years of experience with Fire Elemental Spells and was one of the best at it in the Mage's Association. However, in addition to mastering Flame Magecraft, he was also know for...

"Begone, the fallen dead. Forget the past, and guide us to the future. Believe, the savior of man. Show us your mercy, and bring us to eternal prosperity. With my beliefs, may everything return to ashes once again..." He spoke out a five-line chant and grinned maliciously.

This was his greatest work. An original spell he's created and mastered a decade ago. With High-Speed Incantation, he completed the chanting of incantations at a rapid speed and finished it in two and a half seconds.

The ashes from the still burning flames flew upwards and transformed into a massive creature. The spell was one which borrowed the power of his Elements to create the ultimate Phantasmal Species in his most desired dreams.

Mephis was a talented Mage who was born with the ability to manipulate two Elements. His Elemental Affinities were Fire... and Ashes. An unusual Element which was not seen normally and there were probably only a few others in the world who has the same Element as him.

Darker flames came into existence, and a phoenix was born from the combination of Fire and Ashes. Of course, it was nothing the real thing. It was merely a conceptual spell that borrowed the logic of which 'phoenix rebirth from ashes.'

It was a mere imitation of the true fire bird that are at the peak of Phantasmal Beasts, but the lethality and severity of the magical attack was genuine. It would immediately annihilate any enemy that dared to attack him.

At his command, the fake illustrious beast gave out a loud cry and took off to the skies. It circled around him, giving the vampire a sense of great satisfaction. After a few seconds, the phoenix of ashes accelerated and dived down towards the west side where the forest was located.

The assailants must've perceived the strike when tens of spikes rise up from the ground and tried to impale the bloodsucker. "It won't work twice, fool." Mephis voiced out calmly and sidestepped, easily evading the spikes.

However, what happened on the next second set countless alarms off.

"H-How?!" His greatest creature, the spell which imitated a great Phantasmal Beast, was erased from existence almost instantly when it reached the forest. Seeing the impossible scene, he attempted to summon forth more ashes and created a barrier with him in the center.

However, it was too late.

He was not even given a chance to scream when he was abruptly swallowed by a scorching inferno. The blaze devoured the Dead Apostle and the village, where not a single human existed anymore.

A deep sigh came from the forest, and magical energy began to flow. Prana sung, and they filled up the entire island. A stunning aurora materialized in the darkened sky as it slowly parted to reveal the brilliant blue.

Time was reversed, and the nameless island returned to its previous state. Even though its inhabitants were gone, the structures were still recovered to their former selves. The verdant forest regrew, while the beaches' palm trees resurfaced once more.

 _'More deaths.'_ He manipulated the wind and removed the ashes from the ground as he scattered them to the winds. The villagers' remains flew to the sky and played out a song of gloom. Out of two thousand people-

-None survived.

 _'This world is a messed up place, isn't it?'_ He glanced up at the blue sky and gave out a laughter. _'I am always, and have always been in a bad dream...'_ The tone was one of pure satire and irony. It was a heartfelt laughter. A genuine yet hopeless cry from deep down his heart. "...Don't you agree, Chtholly?"

* * *

 **The Everglades, Florida, the** **United States of America**

A battle raged on within the Florida swamp.

The owner of the castle felt his defenses breached earlier and responded by sending down his servants. Vampires, ghouls, and Deads rushed out of the fortress' gates and immediately assaulted the hostile who destroyed the Bounded Field. However-

-There was no one.

The vampires then ordered the lower-ranking members to sweep the perimeter. Forced by the hierarchy system, the creatures of the night spread out and searched the surroundings, trying their hardest to find the intruder.

"...You shouldn't have done that."

A voice came from behind one of the separated Ghouls and his head promptly fell onto the wetland. A few flashes of lights later, the entire group have their bodies cut into pieces. All of them have their heads severed and hearts pierce to confirm their death. It was master's work.

None of the guards had realized it before it was too late as the similar scene played out multiple times in different places around the fortress, and finally, only the vampire commander was left alive.

 _Splash._

"Who's there?!" The vampire turned around and shouted in an authoritative tone. He wasn't alarmed nor frightened, he was merely exerting dominance over the inferior ones. Because... He didn't know. Didn't know that he was the only survivor of a massacre. And that would soon change.

"Ugh?!" The vampire cried out. All he saw was a metallic gleam and his sights were blinded. Though before he could say another word, he felt something amiss. _'W-What's wrong with me? Huh-'_ He lowered his head and glanced at his- "Aah!" It's gone. His body was gone! He-

 _Stab._

The blade was pulled out from the severed head. Its wielder swung it to the side to get rid of the blood, and stepped towards to the castle. He entered the giant structure through the gates, navigated through the fortress, and reached a pair of massive double doors.

 _'How classic.'_ Instead of knocking or entering, he stepped to his right and into the shadows. Dematerializing, he moved through the walls and maintained his presence in the shades.

Sitting on a gilded throne was a pompous elderly man. He has a long white beard and was clothed like a royalty with a golden crown on his head. Although the priceless gemstones embedded on it seemed to be mere ornaments, he knew of the truth after analyzing it carefully.

Every single one of them were filled with massive amount of Prana, and could be detonated when thrown.

This man was a Dead Apostle. A rather ancient one at that. He was not a member of the Twenty-seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, but one who was more powerful amongst the ordinary Dead Apostles.

At the same time the intruder was observing the bloodsucker, the elderly man narrowed his eyes and examined every tiny details within the room. He knew that his servants were all killed, and that the invader has already made his way into his stronghold.

 _'How did he find my castle?'_ The vampire gritted his teeth in frustration. _'I specially chose to build my lair in this young nation so that I can avoid the conflict between those two imbeciles. So how did he find my castle? There shouldn't be any leaks since I haven't contacted anyone in the last two hundred years...'_

It was within moments.

When the Dead Apostle has his guard down for a slight second, the hidden assassin came out of his concealment and launched a surprise attack on the vampire. The shadows warped and transformed into weapons of many types. The blades struck the vampire as a golden shield defend him against the onslaught.

The bloodsucker immediately lifted his arm to his crown and attempted to channel Prana into the gemstones. Sadly, his arm was cut off before he could reach for the crown and it was then burned into ashes by azure flames.

"Who are you?" The Dead Apostle widened his eyes and glared at the assailant. He has appeared inside the golden shield, which meant that he had somehow bypassed its defense. It was not something easily penetrable, and could hold on for a long time while being supplied by his crown's magical energy.

"Who sent you?!" The elderly man screamed, but the assassin didn't speak a single word. He raised his arm, and the silver sabre cut down on the yelling man. A moment later, blood splurted out of the elderly man's body as his severed head rolled down onto the stone-cold carpet floor.

After checking that the Dead Apostle was truly dead, the intruder rushed to the Dead Apostle's treasury and took all the valuable loots. When he was satisfied with the rewards, he erased the proofs of his involvement and retreated from the castle.

"...Another one down."

* * *

I wanted to know-

-Why was this world so twisted.

Where did the twistedness came from.

Why do people rule and let themselves be ruled.

And why, despite all those sufferings, do people still want to live their lives so desperately.

I merely dreamed of the stars. The sun that shined down on us. Its warmth which make me so happy every moment I am alive.

I remember her words.

That face of sorrow. The flowing tears which ruined her usual cheerful self.

 _...You wish for humanity's salvation even though you do not have the power to accomplish it._

 _All you can do is to be lost in your dream when you do not have a single shred of wisdom._

 _You struggle uselessly even though you can't do anything..._

 _There have been many people who desired to become heroes of justice, but how many had actually succeeded?_

 _How many persevered in such an appalling path just to save others? How many made it through to the end in one piece?_

 _Saving someone isn't wrong. But you should not sacrifice your own peace for a stranger you have never even met._

 _In the end, someone has to sacrifice himself. The minority for the majority. One life for many. But it does not have to be you..._

 _Before the day comes. I beg of you. Live a fulfilling life with no regrets. That's what all living beings like us deserves._

 _So please... don't throw your life away for that hopeless dream._

I really... really should have listened to your words-

-Chtholly...

I should have known that miracles do not exist.

I thought that as long as everyone can be happy, it is fine even if I have to carry all their pain.

An utopia for humanity does not exist. True salvation is but a dream that can never be granted.

I have killed. I have saved. I have betrayed. I have sacrificed.

I wished to become strong... strong enough to reach that unattainable dream.

But what is there in the end? What was there in the struggle for salvation when I couldn't even save a single young girl?

What savior. What hero am I. When I couldn't even save her...?

 _No matter how much it may hurt at times, I'd like to believe that this world is beautiful_ , she says.

 _Even though you keep talking about saving someone, in the end, you actually just wanted to be saved yourself_ , she says.

 _Then, I will be the one to save you_ , she says...!

What should I do, when the ones I am supposed to protect are the ones who causes sadness?

What should I do, when humanity will stop being human in order for salvation to be granted?

What should I do, when I knew that the dream I chased after is impossible?

I didn't save the world.

I murdered every single being on earth. I destroyed entire civilizations. I not only killed everyone, but I also erased their history.

I am the exact thing I hated the most-

-Aren't I?

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I'm still on break, but I'll post this Prologue since it was already done.**

 **Yes. This arc is for Titus and his Servants.**

 **It'll be the first time I delve deeper into my original character's history, and I have wanted to do this for a long time.**

 **Also, I'll post this to clear up what happened after Tsukihime arc because I received a message from one of the readers (rick12 :3). Well, just in case if you're confused: Ciel doesn't know that she is mortal.** **Arcueid is now back to full power and resting at her castle. Shiki isn't as close to either Arcueid or Ciel because he hasn't bonded with them since Titus helped the True Ancestor with her Vampiric Impulses and he and his Servants killed both Dead Apostle Ancestors. Due to this, Shiki wasn't able to experience life-threatening situations with confronting Nero Chaos or Roa (even Satsuki wasn't fully confronted and dealt with by Shiki despite him meeting her after she became a Dead Apostle, since Titus has her under his care after he asked Anastasia to spare her). Arcueid didn't have enough reasons to stick close to Shiki so she just left to recover her power, and Ciel left to go back to the Burial Agency because she also doesn't have enough reasons to stick close to Shiki as well.**

 **Gabriel790: I actually really like Musashi, but I'm not sure at the moment :S**

 **superpierce: The main events of Tsukihime happened in 1999. Its sequel/spins-off Kagetsu Tohya and Melty Blood happened in 2001-2002. And lastly, the Epilogue of Arcueid happened before Fate/stay night. I only included the main events of Tsukihime in my story so it's all okay~ Anyway, I added Kagetsu Tohya and Melty Blood to the timeline :3**

 **Stratos263: Yesh~ :D**

 **Paxloria: Night of Wallachia happend during the events of Melty Blood, which is around 2001, 2 years after the main Tsukihime. Thanks for the support! :D**

 **All reviews are appreciated :D**


	45. Announcement

**Hello, it's Mizukume, your favorite foxy waifu~**

 **After 4 months and almost 130,000 words, I have decided to drop this story. I hope that you guys will forgive this awful news.**

 **I just can't find the motivation to continue writing a complex harem story, it's too tiring to not forget the remaining characters when I put one of them in the spotlight.**

 **I will be writing my third story (since my second is completed). If you prefer cold, calculating, and ruthless protagonists, then the story will definitely interest you. It contains the same setting, RPG/Gamer system, and many cold-blooded decisions and betrayals? Eh? You don't like backstabbing people? Too bad!**

 **What is it about? Hint: Illimitable Until Death, Holistic Fantasy, Shoujo Grand Summoning, Unlimited Anime Works.**

 **Ei, that will be all I have to say. Ciao~**

 **This story is up for adoption!**


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